A Kim Possible Christmas Carol
by Ayotte
Summary: My lacking title says it all: a futuristic Kim Possible take on Charles Dicken's classic, A Christmas Carol, and guess who our nasty Scrooge is? Please R&R!
1. Stave One

Author's Note:

Alright, so this is my very first story I decided to post online, I hope people will enjoy it~ ^-^ When I originally wrote this (only a couple of days before Christmas), I hadn't seen the episode _Go Team Go_, only heard of it, so I had to improvise mostly. But recently, a friend mailed me the tape (I live in Canada and they haven't aired that eppie here yet ~_~;), so I was able to revamp my story; so now Shego's past will fit the one in the story. Also, at the time, I hadn't seen _A Sitch In Time_ (saw it for the first time this Tuesday!), so please don't think this story is to correspond with the movie in any way. Because it simply is not .___. Anyway, I do hope you'll find my story enjoyable, _please_ R&R! 3

insert Kim Possible disclaimer here

~A. King (SE) 3

**Stave ****1******

_Drakken's__ Ghost_

Drakken was dead: to begin with. There was no doubt whatever about that. It had occurred seven years ago to this day. One would have thought this to be a merry occasion, especially since he was on the very brink of world domination; the world, so it had seemed, and the briefest of hopes that Dr Drakken would fail. Everyone had prepared for the worst, no one dared to pray. But swiftly and suddenly he had fallen, perhaps an error on his part, but mostly due to a certain teen heroine who, like all good stories, came through without the merest of seconds to spare, thus already quoting her a heroine. From there, she hindered Drakken's plan along with the help of her team of three. 

His death, however, had not been fulfilled purposefully, an accident, for our hero had not meant to carry death in her wake. Ironically, she had tried to save Dr Drakken at the last moment, but it was too late, and perhaps it was for the better, prison had never held Drakken for long.

To some, our heroine was a murder, but those were a very selective few, for the population of the world, she was the ultimate hero, her and her posse. Everyone had been overjoyed and relieved beyond measures at this super-villain's downfall. Why, when his death was witnessed, the future had been briefly forgotten and all had rejoiced to this jubilant occasion. Even our heroine had been briefly blindsided by the death and wonder of finally conquering her arch-foe. 

So no-one had noticed the deceitful doctor's glamorous assistant slip into the shadows, making her self scarce, but her mind was certainly not. While everyone celebrated, while everyone had diverted their attentions for this ephemeral moment in time, fate itself was sealed. 

One moment of commemorate brought years of desolation.

*

            Seven years it had been since the downfall of Dr Drakken and since then Shego, the late Dr Drakken's assistant, had most certainly been making a name for herself. Lying back in her broad, plush armchair (a pale neon green, respectively), she reminisced deviously on how everyone had been _so_ stupidly elated at Drakken's defeat. 

How could they have all, _all_ been so utterly _doltish_ to have ignored her? Did they actually expect her to just stand there like a doll just because Drakken made one wrong move? Certainly the _great_ Kim Possible knew her better than that!

Well, it has cost them severely. All of them.

Shego had slipped into the shadows to pursue Drakken's unfinished plans for global conquest. It had actually been a rather rare and wonderful plan and Shego had no reason to believe it would fail her; especially while everyone else had been preoccupied. 

Evidentially, she had succeeded.            

Shego chuckled to herself right then in her chair, sinking herself further into the plush. She plucked a cherry from its little green plastic basket sitting upon her desk made of ebony and brought the little red berry to her lips of black lipstick, gleaming like dripping vile venom against the cold blood cherry as she sat before her amble picture window that out-looked most of Middleton below.

What a place to situate Go Headquarters, INC., right in Kim Possible's home town; a convenient reminder. An immense, lofty, black building it was, that towered forebodingly in the middle of the town. No-one could ever 'forget' her omnipotence now! 

But the building now was accompanied beautifully with a pristine layer of freshly fallen snow. It seemed to be the only thing in Middleton that allowed the citizens some tranquillity of mind, for the snow blanketed the constant black and green colours that had consumed the town since Shego's uptake. The colour of white, an ever-representative of purity, graced the town every year, reminding and stirring perhaps even the littlest of hopes in all.

But there sat Shego, in all her glory, eminent in power and greed.  Everything was hers for the taking, she owned it all and no-one dared to up one on her. She continued to recall the day it had all happened, that fateful day Shego had  recalled many-a-time and it all began with that one name.

Kim Possible. O, if _only_ she could have kept a record of little Kimmie's face when the machine began to whir and clank, becoming fully operational once again. How _shocked_ she had been! _Lesson one: Eyes wide, especially to people who can_ hurt_ you._ _But, I must admit, I do accommodate you, Kim Possible. If it hadn't been for you, _my_ dream never would have been, well, for a lack of a better word, _possible_! And that's why I have saved a 'special' place for you, dear. One that will be etched in our minds forever; for mine, exultation and contentment; and for yours, defeat and disgrace._

At that moment the buzzer toned off from the intercom upon that ebony desk that embodied her power. 

Irritated at the interruption, Shego pretended to ignore the irksome sound. But when it rang for a second a third, no- a fourth time, Shego caved in. Swirling her chair around and leaning forward across her desk, she reached for the button and snapped viciously into the intercom: "_What?!_"

The familiar voice sounded from the intercom, "There's someone here to see you, Shego."

"Who is it and how did they reach this floor?" Shego snarled giving the speaker no slack. "I have no meetings planned, who dares to interrupt me? This had better be good…"

The speaker continued to speak through the intercom in a steady voice seemingly unshaken by Shego's harsh tones. The speaker had heard this over a dozen times (plus ten!). "It's your brother, ma'am, he wishes to speak with you."

Shego paused to ponder this, her brother, h'm? While Shego had not chained him to her legions or workforce, he was still not one of her most favourable peoples. A do-gooder is what he had always been, optimistic and one for helping others. It sickened her. But no means, if he had dropped by, her must have something, at _least_ entertaining, to say.

"Bring him in."

Leaning back into her beloved chair, Shego folded her fingers in front of her anticipating the arrival. Not a moment later did two figures walk into the room. There… there was her brother, he remained exactly how Shego remembered him; although now he was decked in a long winter coat, snow was sprinkled upon his shoulders and blue hair. Kindly was his smile as he hung up his coat on the coat rack in the corner. So he planned on staying awhile did he?

Shego turned her attention to the second figure that had entered the office room; her own personal assistant and her secretary. The perfect job for her and O! the mockery it induced! "You may leave, but keep the door open," she glanced back at her brother, she drawled, "I predict he won't be staying long."

Acknowledging, Kim nodded, retreating from the room, but as ordered, left the door open.

"So." Shego began, casting her hand through the air in a bored (and quite rude) manner, "What brings you to Go Headquarters on such a cold and dreary day? Not asking for money, I hope, there may be a shortage, I'm fully aware of, but just because you're related-"

"Not at all!" Hego responded jovially, mistaking Shego's hand gesture for an act of wishing him to take a seat. "I came merely to wish you a Merry Christmas!"

Shego coughed a laugh into a fist, "Whatever! What good is a Merry Christmas to you or to anyone? I've left not much than a penny in the world and you come here wishing me Merry Christmases?"

Hego clicked his tongue but remained composure in his voice and ventured, "Come now, Shego, surely you don't mean that?"

"Are you joking me? 'Merry Christmas' indeed! You and I are both adult enough to know that it's just one big commercialized holiday for companies to profit from! You're all nothing but impoverished and have no money to spend on each other! Now you tell me," Shego sneered at her brother from across the desk and jabbed a gloved claw-like finger in his direction, "Tell me, how 'merry' is that?"

"The world is so poor because you hoard all the money!" Hego retorted.

No-one in the world would have ever risked their heads at being so brash and open-minded with Shego, Hego seemed to be the only person Shego allowed that from, preferably for her entertainment, but no-one knew for sure. But he still had his place and even though Shego allowed him to be a little more, shall we say, impudence, she still reminded him of his place from time to time.

"And what exactly are you insulating by _that_ remark?"

"Perhaps if you could share some of your wealth with-"

"Huh, and there you go again, Hego!" exasperated, Shego lifted her arms. She was sure Kim could hear every word of their conversation through the open door. But no matter, this conversation contained nothing that Kim hadn't known about Shego before. "Now if I gave out more money, people would hoard it… probably but it in _banks_ and let it _grow_ so they can have _more_ money and before you know it, economy will rise and then where will I be? No. The people are doing just fine on their own, regardless of your so-called 'Merry Christmas'es!"

Hego's expression softened and his own azure-blue eyes gleamed dismally. "Shego, what right have you to do this? To demand so much of others? To make them miserable and impoverished? Do you get some sort of sick pleasure out of it all?! You have the world, you can do as you wish, but why? Why make everyone so penurious and pitiful?"

Adverting the question, Shego just returned this with a snort and replying in a much child-like fashion, "Whatever."

"Shego, don't get all angry at me!" Hego implored, leaning forward in his seat. 

"You can have your Christmas your way and I'll have it _my_ way." 

Hego decided that this conversation wasn't going to go anywhere. Shego, not only to-day, but on other occasions had expressed her dislike for this joyous holiday. But that never stopped him from trying to change her around, oh-no. Every year, he always hoped, dreamed, that something would turn his sister around. He strolled to the coat tack in the corner of the room and plucked off his coat; Shego stood up from behind her desk and joined Hego. Walking out of the office with his sister tailing after him, they just stood outside the office beside Kim's working desk, Hego trying in his last attempts to somehow sway Shego's already set mind.

"Shego," Hego pleaded, "There are many wondrous things about Christmas you have yet to uncover! I'd only wish I could peel the blinder away from your eyes to make you see. Christmas is a splendid occasion; an occasion for allocation, celebration, forgiveness and repent." Then he mumbled darkly to himself, "And God knows you _need_ to repent." 

Continuing, he raised his arms in spirit, "It's the time of year when we forget our wrongs and be kind to our fellow beings! Old and young, poor _and_ rich! Christmas isn't about the money, but you're right, it _is_ over-commercialized, but that doesn't mean that's all that remains of Christmas. You can rekindle the flame of the true Christmas spirit, if you only give yourself a chance. Christmas allows people new aspirations and dreams, it does us _all_ good, it's not just about giving material items, but _giving_ the spirit you have _inside_ to others!" 

Shego returned this with a non-expressional face and blew a strand of hair from her face. 

"Here, here!" Kim cried graciously from her seat to the right and she clapped her hands jubilantly at Hego's well-given speech. "There's Christmas spirit for you!" 

"Don't let me start on you!" Shego thrust her face rudely in front of Kim and snarled bitterly. "You mind to your business or you may find yourself out of a job!"

Startled, Kim turned her head back to her papers, not wanting (or needing, rather) to be put out of a job, but couldn't help and give a dirty look to Shego behind her large auburn hair. 

Hego was the only one who caught this, thankfully, and gave a slight chuckle at Kim's hidden response. As he slipped his jacket on, he turned to his sister again and shook his head sadly. "Look, I didn't just come here to wish you a Merry Christmas…"

"Perhaps you're worth my time after all?"

Aggrieved, Hego rolled his eyes, "I don't know why I bother, for after this miserable conversation, I think I can safely say I'll know your response. But it's Christmas, and I ask you as my sister: Will you come to my Christmas dinner to-morrow? I'm sure we'd all be… well, I'm sure _I'll_ be pleased to have you there." 

"You're kidding me right?" Shego retorted the answer Hego had dreadfully predicted. "Did you listen to, like, a single word I've been saying to you? Or has the lack of clatter in your pocket-bags defeat your ears?"

Tsking again and heaving a mighty sigh, Hego turned to leave. "I don't understand you, Shego, you weren't always like this."

"Go away, I'm done with you."

"Can't we just ever get along like we used to?"

"Go away."

"With every bit of empathy inside of me I'm very sorry to have heard and seen what has become of you. You sadden and weary me. We've never had a real fight, and yet you remain so cold and sour. Is it just because I enjoy Christmas? Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to give up my delight for Christmas, even so I can be on good terms with you."

"Go away."

"Well, think about what I've said. And my invite will always remain open, should you decide to come."

"Go away."

And he did. Inclining his blue hair to both Shego and Kim, he slipped outside the door, closing it gently behind him without a rude remark or expression. But he left with a sadness in his heart for his sister: how had she become what she was to-day? And why be so cruel to Christmas? Well, those were her problems, not his and he had done all he felt he could do for someone in his position. Riding the elevator down to the final floor, he stepped out and into the harsh winter outside.

Back in the office, Shego snorted in his wake and flipped her hair airily. She stood, still leaning in the doorway of her office in bad posture. 'Merry Christmas' indeed. He had to have been joking. They had had conversations like this one before and they had all ended the same. Certainly he could have learned from her past behaviour? Why did he try year after year? _He wants my money_, Shego thought greedily:_ and my power. But he won't have any of it; trying to warm up to me like that with exclamations of 'Merry Christmas' and what have you…_

Twirling a black lock of hair around her finger, Shego went into thought. There was something else she was going to do out here, wasn't there? What was it..? At that moment Kim coughed and began stapling some papers. Aa, yes. That was it.

Approaching Kim, Shego's voice remained emotionless, "As you heard, to-morrow is Christmas day." She pointed a finger at Kim, "Am I right to assume you want a day off work?"

After stapling the papers, Kim was preparing herself to leave for home. But she had been much taken aback by Shego's sudden address, not only that but the question she had asked. Would Shego possibly give Kim a day off? She never had before, but then, Shego had never _asked_ before either and Kim most certainly wasn't going to bring up a topic like that. Perhaps if she played her cards right, she'd be able to stay at home for one whole day, Christmas day at that!

"Um…" Kim stuttered, trying to form words, but making a fool of herself. "Well, yes, actually!" Although Kim would not truly appreciate anything from Shego, she decided to flatter her nonetheless in hopes of that single day of break, "I'd greatly appreciate it… so would-"

"Well, 'NO!' actually!" Shego snapped back. Her long, black hair had flopped over her shoulder again as she leaned forward on the desk to face Kim. So she brushed it back vengefully while saying: "And you expect me to _pay_ you for a day when you don't even earn it?!"

Kim wanted to cry out loudly then and there! She more than deserved it, that was what! She drudged on for Shego day after day for seven years with no break with squalid wages. Wages that were support _six_ people! (Soon to be _seven_!) One pay of no-day's work would mean nothing to Shego's pocket-book with what the way she was paying Kim now! Shego knew very well that Kim needed as much money as she could scrounge for, and here she was ridiculing her for it! Kim wanted more than anything to hurt Shego… make her pay…

But Kim knew wiser than this and replied, "Well, Shego, I have to say: I think I've most certainly _more_ than earned it. You know how hard I work and that… and that, well, we _really_ need the money…"

Dropping her gaze to Kim's round belly, Shego slurred, "Yes, you most _certainly_ do, h'm?" But she cracked a devilish grin that only Mephistopheles himself could have mustered. "Well, you should have thought of that _before_ you allowed this to happen, h'm? Why should _I_ have to pay because you miscalculated how much you earn?"

"You know that's not fair!"

"Sure, whatever. Blame _me_ for your misjudgement. The only thing marriage cost you was a trip to the poor house!"

"That's not true! I married for-"

"Wait! Stop! Don't tell me. You married for _looove_. You gotta be joking me. Yes, and all that 'as long as we're together, nothing matters' garbage that's everywhere on TV nowadays just to make you poor lot feel better." Shego snorted again (was it becoming a habit?), "In fact, I don't care for your talking back to me, so I expect to see you here bright and early to-morrow!"

"Shego!"

"Make that _two_ hours earlier and no pay for the extra hours!"

"But-"

"Don't make me say three!"

"Yes, Shego." Kim caved in, there was nothing she could do now, if she continued on in plea, she'd just be digging her own grave, as they say. Grievously, Kim cleaned up the desk while Shego watched, her arms crossed and looking as nasty as ever. Collecting her things (coat and hat, a bit shabby, I must say), she bid Shego farewell (but not really meaning it), leaving her alone in the now deserted office.

_That'll teach you good to argue with _me_!_ Shego thought wickedly as she watched Kim close the door behind herself. She stood to herself for a few moments in mindless thought then decided to pack it in herself. 

Returning to her office, Shego stood poised with her hands behind her back in front of the picture window to survey the snow drifting down from the sky. She could see most of Middleton from this standpoint, although she could have a more sweeping view from her penthouse atop of this very building. 

There the people walked around in the snow, in their warming hats and faux fur coats. Ambling along aimlessly from store to store to home in the melancholy town that was Middleton; people trudged through the snow on that cold Christmas Eve. Kim Possible herself came into Shego's view. Her tattered and worn Club Banana jacket's collar was pulled up high against the wind of Jack Frost. 

Shego enjoyed her view, seeing everyone disheartened below. Again Shego thought: _'Merry Christmas' indeed! How merry is it for these poor, unfortunate souls who walk the very streets in front of me? How merry are they to have this… this _vision_ of Christmas all around them, only to become miserable for not having any money to celebrate this… this _'joyous'_ occasion? They've _got_ to be kidding me. How Merry is it for Kim Possible to return to a dilapidated and deficit home with more people than she can handle, to tell them she won't be able to be with them the next day… _Christmas_ day, because she'll have to work, and early too! Christmas is nothing but an illusion that shrouds people in charlatan merriment!_

From there, Shego pulled herself away from the window and scene below. She had no coat with her, so the last thing she did was flick off the lights in the office and lock the doors with her brass key. Stepping into the elevator, Shego pushed for the top floor and waited for the elevator to carry her up, up and up to her warm home.

Once up on the roof, Shego wished she had brought a jacket down to her office with her. For even though the distance was short, the air was cold; the night itself was dark, a deep, rich blue and the stars shone above her head in the darkest regions of the sky. The patterns of constellations watched her make haste to her house upon the tower and shook their heads, visioning what was to come.

Upon reaching her doorstep, which was covered in ice and frost, Shego reached into her pocket for the door key and was about to unlock it when she stared into the black, metallic knocker that sat ruefully on her front door. It had changed. Shego was no-longer looking into the face of the knocker she faced everyday, but the face of Dr Drakken himself!

Shego's dark-green eyes widened in the utmost shock, it was Drakken's very face that had replaced her usual knocker! It was a clear form of Drakken, no-one could have misjudged that hair, that scar, those eyes, still blue-skinned. He was translucent and an eerie light resonated from his form, a spectre of astounding proportions. His eyes were as wide-open as Shego's were at that moment, wide they were but moving they were not. The expression was more like a statue carved of marble, but the form of it certainly was not; the hair ruffled as if in a zephyr. Everything about this chimera of Drakken horrified Shego.

Quickly, she shut her eyes and when she opened them not a second later, she came to find Drakken's face was gone. Nothing but a memory. "I've been stressing too much to-day," Shego rolled her eyes while talking herself and walked into her house. "First the deal with Hego then with Kim Possible… it's causing me to see things, I think I'm gonna need a pill."

Shego's house was the most grand of home's in all of Middleton, nay, all of the Tricity area (Middleton, Upperton and Lowerton). A mansion on top of a tower all owned by Shego herself, how much more lavish could you become? Like the tower, the house was completely black, all but the windows which shone a silver hue when the light hit them just right. 

Despite the dignified approach of the house, the inside was very much a lonely place to live. In fact, most of the loneliness was due to the noble extensity of the house, but the other part was in cause by the darkness and lack of good-will Shego brought in with herself every day. The house was yet to see merrier times, which it was best suited for. 

And what brave soul would ever guess that such a day would come? When all that looked upon the monstrous and foreboding sight that was the tower and mansion, all they saw reflected in its blackness was Shego's own voracity and ominous power. It always reminded them, as was its purpose for being so ungodly divine, the spiteful hold that Shego had over the people. 

But as was previously said, the snow that had fallen over the past days softened the draconian might of both buildings. It brought a brief calm over the people that they might relax, forget about Shego's ruthless reign and think of Christmas in all the ways and more that Hego had exclaimed that very day. 

Now Shego stepped into her household and looked around herself, perhaps half-expecting Drakken himself to immerge from the shadows like Death coming to her door. But he did not; somewhat insouciant, Shego brushed the snow brusquely from her shoulders and the flakes fell to the mat she stood on and melted into the warm fabric. 

Sauntering forwards, Shego decided to skip her supper (the Drakken apparition really put her off any sort of food), and head for an early bed. She sighed heavily, to-day had been a rather stressing day. _Three_ things that set her off, that had been too much! She decided not to switch the lights on in the darkened house, for she would only be passing through the hall. Instead, she brought up a gloved hand, curved her fingers and lit a green-plasma flame, shrouding her hand in a casting light like a candle as she climbed up the lengthy staircase that wound around the side of the wall.

The floor made not a sound as her feet padded on the wooden floor of each step. With one enflamed hand held high casting an eerie green glow, she placed her other gloved hand in black upon the staircase railing made of the finest wood in the world. Her shadow was cast on the wall so vast to her from the green flame and trailed her a pace behind like a mysterious stalker.

Slowly Shego walked up the steps, adverting her eyes forward, not allowing them to wonder in the least. When she finally made it to the top of the flight, she walked almost mechanically to her bedroom. 

Once she entered her room, Shego let the flame around her hand burn out to flick the light switch on in her room. Fleetingly, Shego surveyed her prodigious bedroom, for what, I have no notion of. But from there, she strolled leisurely to her walk-in closet, pulling out her night-shirt/dress and stripped out of her day-suit of black-and-green into her black-and-green nightwear. She picked up a pair of socks from a drawer, closed the closet door behind her and went to sit on her bed.

After slipping on her socks (one green and one black, thank-you), she then made her way to her exquisite fireplace. The mantle was carved with an elegant pattern and the pillars refined still all in a rich Tuscan red. There were no photographs or mementos residing on the fireplace, twas bare and cold, much reflecting the owner's personality.

Shego pulled over a comfortable chair from her in-room desk and placed herself in front of the fire that she had just kindled. The red and orange flames clashed gallantly with each other all while casting the light they had to offer around the room. She sat there for a few moments, then turned to flick off the light-switch, leaving the fire to burn itself out over the night.

To her four-poster bed was the last stop, its curtains all drawn back from that morning. Shego settled herself in and was just about draw forward the curtains for a peaceful sleep when the noises began.

It was faint at first and for a moment, Shego could have reckoned she was hearing things. _My mind is still ringing from the trials of the day; _Christmas_ Eve day. I really should have taken a pill, damnit…_ Shego contemplated climbing out of bed to her bathroom for one when the noises steadily grew louder and louder; and louder still! This was no trick on her weariness.

She was the only one in the whole house! What damned fool was lurking inside her home? O, they were going to feel _her_ wrath, that's for sure. _I don't need anymore bloody circumstances to-day! I'm through and you will be soon enough for this little stunt…_

Pissed, Shego raised her voice, "Look, if you're trying to break in and steal something, buddy, you're gonna have yourself some tough luck because I'll beat the-" She paused. 

The sound. What was it? Did it sound like… like chains rattling? They were incessantly growing in pitch… and as they did, Shego realised that they were headed right for her door! Not just rattling chains, but (Shego could recognise this sound anywhere) the rattling of money in a box? And clunking noises! What was going on?!

_Just great.__ I've got some sort of New York-type alley club loitering my home. What makes them think they can take me down when so many others have tried and failed? Oh, they are _so_ going to feel the burn…_

She held a hand in the air at the ready to call forth her powers of green flames when…

When at that moment the figure (note not figures!), slid _through_ the thick doorway to Shego's room! In that instant, Shego forgot what she was doing and turned to stare dumb-founded to the figure that now stood before her.

And O! what a sight! It was Dr Drakken himself, just as how Shego remembered him. His scar on his left cheek was still intact, his hair was still in the (Shego thought) unfashionable ponytail. Drakken's clothing were the same as they always had been, the long blue overcoat with the black belt, his gloved hands and booted feet; just how he looked before he had died.

The only thing that changed him were the crude chains that clung to him like a fly caught in a spider's web. The chains hooked to his belt, wrapped around his stomach and chest, enwrapped his wrists, arms, feet and legs, all to trail behind him on the ground. And as these chains clung to Drakken, the objects clung to the chains, weighing him down; objects such as money boxes that clattered with coins and globes that rolled on the ground and looked to weigh of lead. Also were there padlocks, keys, scrolls of plans, pieces of technologically equipment or two. 

All these gave Drakken a most frightening look Shego gazed upon horrified, totally forgotten of her plan to call upon her powers. What frightened her even further was the fact that he was translucent, so Shego could see the door behind him.

_This is _so_ not happening. I'm having a hallucination! It's all this stress of world-domination getting to me, that's it. There are no such things as… as… well, as ghosts! My mind is playing tricks on me and I'm paying for it because I didn't take that damned pill! How I'll suffer for it in the morning, ugh. So now what, how do I deal with this?_

"Well?" Shego demanded, although underneath this thin layer of faked confidence was terror. "What do you want?"

Drakken cackled in the same voice he always had, "Hehe, wouldn't you like to know!"

"Excuseme?" Then, "But… but _what_ are you?" Shego spluttered, her words became a jumbled mess; she had lost the momentary moment of improvised confidence. 

"Aaha! The question, Shego, is not _what_ am I, but _who_ am I?"

Shego snorted from her spot on the bed. "I'm not blind, I can see you're Dr Drakken. Y'see, there you go again, Dr D., always dragging on the point of things, just get straight to the point, alright? I'm short on patience right now!"

"Haven't you always been?" Drakken muttered under his breath. "But no matter! In _life_ I was-"

"Wait. Stop. Hold it right there, Dr D.," Shego held up her hands to signal the 'time-out' hand sign. Stepping out of bed, Shego stood beside her bed in front of Drakken (but keeping her distance), "Heh, what do you mean 'in _life_'? Are you trying to tell me you're dead? Like, like a Casper or something?"

Drakken heaved a sigh slumping forwards, then he rose his hands in the air and exclaimed aggregately: "Well, no _duh_ I'm a ghost! Take a look at me! Have I been dead for so long that people now walk around transparent with all this junk attached to them?"

"Yea, what _is_ that junk clinging all over you? Some kind of new exercise-fad of the 'dead'?"

"Aha!" Drakken bellowed yet again. "Finally we are getting somewhere! You see these chains that cling to me, Shego?"

"Doi."

Drakken gave her a look and continued on, "These are the chains I fashioned from my life! Every link you see here, look! _Every_, single link I have made myself. These objects, money-boxes and globes, are there as a reminder for what I was in life. From my own greed and evil have I constructed this misery that I am doomed to wear for all of eternity. O! woe is me!" Drakken hunched forward and covered his face with a hand in grief, Shego had no inclination to offer help or console (not that there as anything she could do to help this apparition). Suddenly, causing Shego to recoil, wide-eyed, Drakken stood straight and tall and thrust a finger straight at her. "And yours, Shego! And _yours_ are even longer than mine!"

By instinct, Shego raised her arms in alarum to shoulder level and looked all about herself, fully-expecting to see chains like Drakkens (only longer!) dragging her down and over-powering her. But there were none and Shego turned to face Drakken again who laughed maliciously at her folly. 

"And… and what becomes of you and your chains?" Shego implored tentatively.

"_I_?" Drakken rose his voice magnificently and dramatically, sending shivers all down Shego's spine so she clung to herself in fright. "As I am doomed to wear these chains forevermore, I am fated to wander the world, never resting, never lingering-"

"You're lingering now."

Drakken slapped his forehead, "Don't get technical with me! I am forced to meander weighted down by these unforgiving chains! For seven years, I have been doing this, but time is of no concern to the dead. A year is forever, a month is forever, a week is forever, are too a day, an hour… a minute! Why, I have even stood by you and watched over you-"

"Pervert!" Shego cried, "Oh, that is _so_ sick and wrong. Just… just ew, no!"

"Don't flatter yourself, that's not what I mean!" Drakken retorted truthfully.

"But I don't understand…" Shego picked up from the before conversation and ventured, "Drakken, you were a genius… how could this have happened to you?"

"Huh! A genius, I might have been, but what good is that when you apply your genius to the mistreatment of humankind?! Through my life I had built destructive machines, used my power to try and take over the world and brood in my worldly possessions. Think of what I could have accomplished should I have chosen to employ my genius to the welfare of others?"

Shego had nothing to say to this, so she stood taking everything in while crossing her arms.

"Look, I've got to get going, my time's almost done here-"

"That whole 'never lingering in one place for long' issue?"

"Word. Now hear this, Shego. I have come not just to frighten you with the thoughts of your current future-"

"You certainly excelled at that."

"But as a warning that you have a chance, unlike I did. If only I had a spectre to warn me… Listen, you do not have to end up the way I did. There is hope for you yet, I see it. And your last hope will come in the form of three visitors. For you shall be haunted to-night by Three Spirits."

"Excuseme?"

Drakken raised another finger into the air to stress his point, "They are your last chance, so heed them well!"

Shego smiled fraudulently, backing away into her bed, "You know… you know, I think I'll pass this opportunity up if you don't mind. See, I have a very busy day to-morrow, you know, ruling the world and all. Ok, so maybe you _don't_ know, but-"

"Shego! Didn't you hear me? If they don't come, there is no way you can avoid the fate that has become of me."

Shego nervously eyed Drakken's chains and clatter that weighed him down dubiously, it certainly didn't look fashionable at all…

"That junk heavy?" She questioned with uncertainty.

Again, Drakken chuckled in his old-sinister manner, "_Very_."

From there, Drakken rose above the ground a foot or two, astonished, Shego watched as he flowed like an oak leaf caught unwillingly in a windy breeze, although at the same time, Drakken managed to seem in much control of his actions. He floated past Shego who took a few cautious and inquiring steps forward, transfixed at what was happening. 

The window that had been shut by Shego herself opened itself as Drakken floated backwards to the window and was pulled outside by some unknown force. Curiously, Shego flung herself to the window that overlooked the street far, far below and peered outside, there Drakken floated to join a mass of ghosts that intertwined with each other like a bucket full of rats. They moaned piteously that tormented and disturbed Shego's ears. All of the spectres continued to float along the empty streets wandering to and fro; it all looked to be not Christmas Eve, but All Hallows Eve! 

It was not long before the winter mist rolled around and consumed the ghosts from Shego's sight. Together the Christmas night fog and the phantoms became one and the wails of the dead ceased into the night.

No-more could Shego take, so she turned from the window and shut it tight. Letting go a shiver, Shego meandered to her bed, wavering as she walked softly, each step taken with precision. 

It had all been too much. Too, _too_ much. She could barely reminisce the happenings that had occurred with Drakken's spirit. She didn't even attempt to try. Once in bed, Shego placed the blankets all around, tucking herself in, her mind numb. 

This had been the worst of the day by far and the moment Shego laid her head to rest on her loving pillow, she fell asleep, the encounters of the day finally overwhelmed her. The last things she remembered saying to herself before she drifted of was: _I should have taken that pill…_


	2. Stave Two

Author's Note: Hi all! Sorry for being so late on updating the story ~_~; Lol~ and hold your horses, you'll all discover who Kim is married to in the next Stave, which is all about the present ~.^. again, thank-you for the wonderful reviews, and I hope you enjoy this next instalment~! (And I promise not to take as long uploading the next 3/!)

**Stave ****2**:   _The First of the Three Spirits_

            When Shego next awoke she found it not to be the next morning but still night. It was such a dark the Shego had never seen before, not that she _could_ see anything at all. There was no difference between her walls and the window; no moon shone its beams to lighten her room in a silver cast. 

She was much surprised by this, for she was not one for restless sleep. On the contrary, she would always sleep from night to morning and even in bed ill would she never wake in between. Shego was half inspired that daytime had indeed come but the sun had forgotten to rise.

But that was not probable and she knew this. _It's because of… of the dream I had._ Convinced she was that the phenomenon with Drakken's ghost had all been but a dream in the night; a dream that had been of cause from her over-stressing day, dealings with _Christmas_ and what-have-you. She wasn't happy about waking in the middle of the night, she'd blame it on Kim and dock some more pay from her, Shego had thought nastily. 

And now that she found herself awake, she realized that she was no longer the least bit sleepy. Her eyes were wide, her mind active, she just could not seem to settle down. Try as she may, her efforts were in vain as she lay her head upon her plush pillow, trying to fall asleep. It did her no good to keep her eyes open or closed as there was no difference in effect. 

It was as if something or someone had cast a spell on her, a negative Sand-man? Shego felt as though she had eaten a box of chocolates, she couldn't settle down!

So there she laid, her hands behind her head, gazing up blankly in the direction of the four-poster bed roof, waiting… waiting for sleep to take hold of her. O, if she felt groggy in the morning, Kim was sure to be on the receiving end…

It was because of Kim, Shego had that dream of Drakken… she had defeated him and so the stress caused by Kim caused Shego to reminisce Drakken. Simple, no? Perhaps not… Why had he said what he did then? Shego snorted (twas!), she was overly certain that she did not have some deep conscience stirring her to believe that what she was doing was 'wrong'. That she should 'repent'. Just because she had some stupid dream that Kim had triggered, she ought to give up her power? She thought not.

Wasn't there something else Drakken had told her in her dream? Yes, there was and Shego recollected being terrified at those certain spoken words. (Ha! Now she knew it _had_ been a dream, Shego was _never_ petrified of anything or anyone!) But what he _had_ said: "_You will be haunted by Three Spirits_.". … As Shego thought of that again, involuntarily she shivered. Well, it _had_ been rather disturbing, truth-be-told. But no-one was here to know that was how she felt, and so be it forever!

A smile curved on Shego's green face while she continued to stare ahead at the pitch-black roof above her head. Ok, so Shego was allowed to be unnerved by a dream, but that didn't mean people would know! Sure, it all made sense now. This filled her with some sort of fake content. So, with it, she decided to close her eyes and try once more to sleep…

But wait! Something in the slight corner of Shego's eye caught her attention. How could something in such a dark room? Because it was light! Light that Shego had not created; she did not flip a switch or light a candle. It was a pure, golden light and Shego was almost too afraid to turn to see what caused it.

But she did.

And when she _did_ turn her head, her jaw dropped a mile long! So stunned was she, that she propped herself up with her arms to become transfixed to the sight before her own eyes. Her very own eyes!

There was a lone figure, standing in her room. The light resonating from the figure, so divinely, the figure could have been mistaken for an angel, for it neither burned like the cast off from a fire, nor glowed like a light from a bulb. Indeed, it was such a pure light that no human could have captured it into a tamed form. 

The figure stood there in front of Shego, wearing a decoratively simple dress in a white so innocent. Along the trims were wild flowers along a vine that wrapped all around. So fine were the details on the freesias, it almost looked to be real. And a belt! A belt so golden, so like the sun, it reflected all its surroundings and hugged the waist of the figure into a v-shape; it shone brilliantly in the room, perhaps even subjugating the shine from the figure, if that was at all possible. Yes, the belt would make any prospector trade in their very soul for such lustre! If Shego could avert her eyes from the belt (it was difficult!), she could see the figure holding a single branch of the greenest and freshest holly with the ripest and fullest berries. And under the arm of the figure, was carried a giant candle snuffer, made of a brassy-gold. 

And then there was the figure herself! Yes, I said herself. Her expression was blank, but not in a cold nor distant manner, but just blank, like it had been painted upon her face. Her hair… it was pale-black, wavy, long; down to her waist is where it ended. Her form was slim and lovely, oh-so lovely. Her skin was smooth and a graceful amber colour. The eyes… they were black and though Shego tried, like the figure's expressions, they depicted no emotion.

Shego had seen this person before.

"You!" Was the first words she cried. In a daring attempt, Shego leapt from her own bed and stood on the wooden floor, pointing a sharp finger at the figure. As she shouted this, the figure inclined her head, but spoke not a word. "What the hell are you doing here?! I know who you are… you… you're that friend of Kim Possible's! _Monique_! Did she send you here? To try and frighten me? Well, because of your little prank, Kim'll pay and pay-"

"I am not Monique." The figure spoke for the first time, a voice calm and sweet like honey. Then she labelled herself for the first time: "I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. _Your_ Past."

Shego was silent for a moment, taking in the words that seemed to slap her round the face. Like what Drakken had said! '_You will be visited by Three Spirits_.' Surely she was not dreaming now! It was just then that she was having trouble _trying_ to sleep!

"Excuseme?" Was all Shego could muster.

The Monique-Spirit inclined her head again at Shego. "I am here on your behalf. Come… follow me!"

Shego didn't move a centimetre. Instead, she watched dubiously as the Monique-Spirit glided over to the now open window. Then she floated up and into the frame of the window as the Ghost of Drakken had done previously. 

"Well, come on!" the Monique-Spirit beckoned Shego forwards. 

"Yea, and what?" Shego rested her hands on her hips and starred at the Monique-Spirit through half-eyes. She had noticed a change in the Monique-Spirit's voice. It had started out expressionless, almost mystic, but now it was like that of an average person on the street. "Like, sprinkle my magic fairy dust and fly?"

The Monique-Spirit sighed heavily then held out her hand, "Take my hand and you'll be able to fly, your whole body upheld."

"Are you implying that I'm fat?!"

"Just take the hand, I'm running out of time!"

"Fine!!" 

Moodily, Shego reached out and grasped the Monique-Spirit's hand; it felt neither warm nor cold. To Shego's sudden stupefaction, they flew out the window, and to the Monique-Spirit's true words, Shego felt her whole body being upheld like in a breeze.

When Shego was able to look down, she found themselves flying higher and further, and faster! Soon, Shego's own tower and penthouse-mansion were no longer in sight. Then the ground speed, were they in fast forward?! The lights blurred together so it became a mass of black and vibrant yellow. Abruptly, the landscape below began to slow down and lighten, like the sun slowly rising. While this was happening, the two were descending from the sky and they had reached the ground.

Where were they? _I know!_ Shego thought, and suddenly she felt the feeling of anticipation. The Monique-Spirit and Shego had landed in a school-yard… the playground. All around were children playing (all in school uniform all girls), whether it be tag or Red Rover, all were screaming with delight and laughing cheerfully.

"I know this place!" Shego spoke her words aloud to the Monique-Spirit jovially. "This is the all girls school near where I lived!"

Beside her, the Monique-Spirit surveyed the scene of children playing. "But you're not here."

"No, I'm not." Shego dropped her voice. "Hey, wait, what do you mean 'I'm not here'? I am… right here, talking to you! I mean, like, _hellooo~_"

The Monique-Spirit gave an exasperated sigh, "Didn't I tell you? I'm the Ghost of Christmas Past. _Your_ Past.-"

"_Déjà vu_."

"So, obviously, we're visiting _your_ past. No-one can see us, nor hear us. We're not within their sense, y'know? So," the Monique-Spirit scanned the play ground again, "Where are you?"

"I…" Shego found her for some reason known to her, her voice had falter. She paused for a moment to regain confidence in her speech. When she did, she spoke: "I didn't attend this school. We… my brothers and I were orphans, we didn't have money to attend a school. We… we lived in a tree-house…"

"But we've come to this school, so where'd you normally be?"

Shego tilted her head to the sky in remembrance adrift. Steadily, she began to reply, her black lips twitching in the corners of her mouth, "I often wished I could have attended the school with the other girls. So every lunch and recess, I'd find a reason to leave our tree-house and visit the school-yard." Another painful clog caught in Shego's throat. She smiled to herself, as if she thought of some particular humorous joke. "I… I wanted to make friends with these girls… after all, I lived with four brothers." And she gave a chuckle to tie end to her sentence.

"Then let's go find you. Lead the way, if you remember."

Shego snorted after being woken out of her dilatory state, "Of course I remember!" She snapped. "C'mon!" Shego broke into a swift walk down the dirt play ground path kicking up the gravel as she went (_My socks are _so_ going to need to be laundered_) while the Monique-Spirit trailed in her wake solemnly not becoming spoiled by the dirt, nor causing a trail of her own behind herself. 

 

They walked down the path and towards the fence bordering the school-ground. But rather than continuing down the path, they turned left and trotted across the grassy field. (_Now I'm going to get grass-stains. UGH,_ Shego rolled her eyes in thought.) As if it were yesterday, Shego recalled the familiar landmarks. The slide to the left, the houses on the other side of the fence… and she led the Monique-Spirit to a gallant, noble oak tree right in the middle of the worn and wooden fence, half of the trunk on the school grounds, the other facing the sidewalk, devoid of anyone but a singular person. 

"That's me." Shego said.

"What a lonely child."

"I was."

Truthfully, there was a little girl in old tattered clothing, maybe around the age of ten, sitting alone under the tree on the side of the playground far from the play equipment… The girl had to be a younger Shego, the only difference was age. The little girl had raven-black hair, dark green eyes and the most distinctive of all, pale green skin. Alone she sat her attention no-where but on the book she upheld in front of her, reading intently.

Silently Shego watched in earnest for a few moments then decided to elaborate. "See, they wouldn't come play with me because I was different; because I have green skin. But I didn't care; it helped mould me who I am to-day!"

"And you're proud?" The Monique-Spirit asked this inquisitively, showing no-signs of hostility.

"Of course!" Shego retorted. "I mean, I'm powerful now. I'm strong, inside and out! Huh! They wouldn't dare pick on me now…"

When Shego trailed off, the Monique-Spirit spoke: "And what's she reading?"

Smugly, Shego responded, "_Tae Kwan Doe_. All that time that I spent alone under this tree, I put it all to good use (and to get away from my brothers)." And she chuckled sinisterly, "I studied the art of fighting skills. Hehe, the books I read… I'm a force to be reckoned with now. They actually helped me in the long run…"

The Monique-Spirirt nodded but not in agreement. "Power… but lonely it can be on top, when you've shunned away those of who need you. Who _you_ need."

Before Shego could make some sort of remark (but most likely it would have been a retort), a group of school-girls in forest green uniforms crossed the grassy field, making their way past both Shego and the Monique-Spirit. 

Shego narrowed her eyes in a hidden rage. The Monique-Spirit, tilted her head to look into Shego's eyes only to find a reckless emerald fire blazing fiercely behind those glazed eyes of this daemon…

Unperturbed by the passionate response of this sudden approach, the Monique-Spirit looked ahead at the girls nearing the young Shego in this past vision. Speaking quite casually, she ventured, "You know these people?"

"Yes!" Shego spat viciously, her eyes ever so narrowed, it was difficult to even see her glistening eyes. But there was not only hatred in those eyes of her, but true pain as well… "Those girls tormented me… all I wanted was to be friends with them! What had I done to them?! Nothing! _Nothing!!_"

"Yet you still came back every day…"

"Huh?" Snapped out of her emotional cage, Shego stood up straight, eyes wide to the Monique-Spirit. She found that the Monique-Spirit was not looking at Shego, but staring straight ahead at the scene about to unfold. Turning her head, Shego followed the Spirit's gaze to watch the scene. Even though she already knew it all too well…

There were four girls looming over the little Shego who had just put her book down. 

A girl with brown hair and brown eyes, who was obviously the leader for she stood forwards, the others on either side, put a hand on her hip. "So you've come back here _again_. When will you learn: _you're not welcome here!_"

The little Shego stood up, pushing back a wave of black-hair. "I can come to look, can't I? Besides you're not the only girl's on the play-ground. Others might want to play with me too and-"

"You might be free to look, but not on _our_ side of the playground!" The brown haired girl interrupted with her nose in the air. "You're not allowed on the school-grounds. You don't attend this school because you're too _poor_."

"And ugly!" Giggled a girl with red-hair.

"Yea!" Spoke another brunette, "I mean, look at her _skin_, she looks like a frog! _Ribbit-ribbit!_" 

The four girls laughed maliciously  all the while sneering and taunting little Shego, they called out cries of '_frog!_', '_snake!_' and other such names which stung the little Shego painfully as the touch of a wasp. This could easily be seen in her eyes, for she hid naught an emotion, unlike the Shego of now would have. Emotions made you weak, this was how Shego had learned this.

"Look, the frog is _crying!_" Squealed a girl with brown skin, "Aww, she doesn't have a Prince Charming to rescue her!"

"Everyone knows God made yucky things green," scoffed the red-haired girl. "Snakes, bugs, crocodiles, toads, vegetables…"

"And Shegos!" Laughed the second brunette pointing a rude finger at Shego, "Who names their kid 'Shego' anyway, what kind of stupid name is that?" 

The first brown-haired girl who was the leader smirked, "Yea, so why don't you _GO_ and get off our playground. No-one wants to play with _you_, just looking at you makes people sick!"

Tiny glistening tears formed in the corners of the past Shego's eyes and her mouth tilted down in a distressing frown. But still, she was defiant not to give in to these taunts, "I can stay here if I want! If you don't like me, why don't you just leave me alone?!"

The brown-haired girl lifted her head and stared down at Shego, her eyes narrowed nastily, looking upon Shego as if she was nothing better than scum under her black shoes. For a moment, the two just stared at each other, a contest of wills. Finally, the brown-haired girl hissed, "If you won't leave, then we'll make you!"

At that sudden moment, not even before she had finished her sentence, the girl leaned forward and shoved Shego ruthlessly into the hard bark of the oak tree behind her. Caught unaware, Shego hit the tree with a _thud_! And slumped down onto the grass. 

All four girls laughed out callously at the expense of Shego's embarrassment. Her cheeks tinged red as yet more tears formed in her eyes both of anguish and of disgrace that were now streaking down her light green face serenely.

Young Shego stood herself up, still leaning against the tree, her back aching from the abrupt impact of the tree. Now all attention was drawn to Shego's hands, she curled her fingers into a claw-like state and her hand began to vibrate… and then… out of no-where, little black dots surfaced in the air all around Shego's quivering hand. Not just small black dots… but soon, a green atmosphere swirled all around her bare hands…. Yes, it was her green flames.

And just when the four girl's began to contemplate what to do next, Shego's curled-fingered stance dropped into a flat palm, the green plasma diminishing like a flame upon a candle blown out for the night. 

Shego stood up straight and opened her mouth to speak when the brown-haired girl took a brazen step forward and declared: "Shego, you are _such_ a freak!"

"Did you see her hand _glowing_?" The brown-skinned girl whispered to the red-head, "_Gross!_"

"She won't hurt us!" The brown-haired leader boasted, "We're not afraid of_ you_. If you hurt us, no-one will want to play with a brute like you! No-body will want to be near you!"

A chorus of agreements circled throughout the group of four and together they drew closer, forming a tight U-shape, slowly approaching Shego, who backed herself up against the tree in fear.

Just when it looked like the young Shego was going to be cruelly tormented in a physical form, a new voice rang out. 

"Hey, what's going on?"

Uncontrolled, the present Shego let out a small remark of glee: "Hey, look! Aww, it's Hego when he was young, isn't he cute? Just like me!"

Just like his sister, Hego was not in a school uniform, but in worn clothes of blue. Once his presence was noticed by the younger Shego, a smile creept across her face and looked up at her brother happily. "Hego!" She cried out. Standing up fully, she flung herself and embraced her older brother once he had reached the oak tree.

When the siblings pulled away, Hego drew himself up to his full height (taller than any of the four girls). Repeating himself, he announced firmly, "So, what's going on here? Shego… are you having fun playing with these girls?"

He turned his sight to the girls who appeared to be greatly intimidated by him. And indeed they were, for Hego was an impressive sight. Although he did not have his firm muscles like he had in the present, he was still a formidable sight for a boy his age; everything about his ambiance commanded respect.

Then, Hego spoke casually, "This fence doesn't look straight to me? How about you, Shego?" He didn't wait for a response, for he then lifted the _entire_ fence, using his own special ability of super strength, shocking the four girls something awful, to lift the fence and place it down just a smidge to the left. "Much, better. So, were you girls going to say anything?"

"Yea…" The brown-haired leader stammered, staring wide-eyed at Hego, "Yea, we were just playing… um… um, see you later, Shego. I-I think the bell is gonna ring soon so we'll…. We'll see you… Bye." 

The other three girls nodded their heads in a hasty unison and together they scampered off across the field and towards the other students in the far distance.

Once they were out of sight, young Shego looked up to her brother, "Um, thanks…"

Hego flashed a toothy grin just like he always had and gave a little chuckle, "How about we head back to the tree-house? We can play with Mego and the Wegos."

"O…. okay." Shego stammered, her cheeks alight with blush. She stooped to pick up her book which had been left unharmed on the grass. Before the two strolled off, Shego (still quite flushed with embarrassment) asked, "How… how did you know I was here? I never told anyone where I went…"

Turning to his sister, Hego's smile played about on his mouth in amusement and a twinkle lit in his eye, "I've always known you came here, Shego."

"How did you know?!" Shego cried, aghast, this was certainly news to her!

"I'm your brother, I'm supposed to know these things! I look out for you… I always do." Shego found a sudden interest in staring at her feet, somehow, she had never noticed them before. "And I am proud of you."

"For what?!" Shego lifted her head and even Hego himself was taken aback by the stream of tears running down Shego's cheek, they had not been there a moment ago. "Because I have no friends? How no-one likes me? Where's the pride in that?!"

Shego began to cry, her head facing the ground, but it was soon lifted when Hego pulled her chin high. "I'm proud because you did not act out in aggression. I saw your hands begin to light with your special power, but you listened to me… you didn't use it although you could have hurt them easily. For that… I am proud."

Sniffing, Shego pushed back some tears and looked up at her brother hopefully. "Shego, do you think that I have not been taunted as well? And so have Mego and the Wegos, we're just like you and what even more, we're family. And we stick together for that reason alone."

Shego smiled at her brother, "Hey, Hego? Is it okay if you don't tell the others that this is where I've been going? Especially Mego?"

Hego gave a hearty laugh, "Of course, Shego! I know they may be your brothers also with special abilities, but they're also boys with one sister! You'd never here the end of their friendly teasing!"

The two siblings laughed with one another as they made their way side-by-side outside the school-grounds and down the pavement. This time, both children walked past the Present Shego and the Monique-Spirit, of course, noticing neither.

"What happy kids!" the Monique-Spirit observed as she and Shego both peered down the street and watched Hego and the younger Shego skip down the street together, laughing all the while.

"Yea…" Shego mumbled, seemingly adrift – but in what? Thought? Or maybe emotion, if it was possible for such a cold heart as hers.

And then, before Shego could have even had a moment to protest, the Monique-Spirit took her hand and together they once again lifted off the ground and this time, they flew high above the school yard and were once again flying through the air. Even though they flew at a steady paste, the ground below them again, too, appeared to be in fast forward. On and on the ground sped, when until it steadied down again, and the two took a graceful land.

Shego combed her hair with her fingers, "The wind does_ not_ do justice – hey, where are we?"

A small smile crept onto the Monique-Spirit's face. "You tell me."

"Yea, whatever." But Shego really was eager in intent to know where in her past they had landed. Looking about herself, she found that they were out in the snow, though they felt no cold. And in front of them was a house, a simple house, but O! the light that streamed from those frosted windows!

Shego gave the Monique-Spirit a tentative look, then without waiting for her reassurance, stepped forward on her socked toes through the snow, drawn to the window alight. She had reached the window, squinting, she tried to peer through the frost, although the picture was blurry.

A slight push from the Monique-Spirit behind and Shego slid through the windows like a ghost and into the brightened room itself.

And what a festive room it was! There was not a _spot_ in the room that wasn't active! Everywhere, the room was filled with people in a substantial amount, all dancing and laughing and sharing good cheer. The boom-box and surround sound carried out music to dance furiously to. And so the people did! Couples were dancing with each other, shaking their hips, swinging their arms, swaying their bodies in a euphoric fashion. Laughter was to be heard, although it was a wonder that it _could_ reach Shego's ears, the music was so loud. Not a sour face was to be seen, all were exceedingly jubilant.

The decorations all displayed the holiday that was Christmas! There were wreaths on the doors, streamers strung to the walls, holly and even the idyllic mistletoe! The colours, green, red, white and a brilliant blue accompanied the room. Not a shadow in a corner was there for the bright lights shone to every reach. 

"Heey~" Shego recalled tapping a finger to her chin and smiling, "I actually remember this! It was a Christmas party that was held with friends, citizens of Go City and my brothers! And… and if I'm not mistaken, this could be the Christmas when…"

Hego strolled into sight, he must have emerged from a clutter of people. What an improvement from the young Hego they had just seen. Not that the other one had been unimpressive, but this one resembled the present Hego, with his rippling pectorals. Was he looking for something? Someone? He must have been, the way he was craning his neck about, his eyes incessantly perusing the ruckus about him. He pushed his way past people and Shego watched him move towards the hall.

Shego trailed him, walking past people, not noticing the Monique-Spirit lingering behind her. Hego reached the hall and treaded cautiously into the adjacent room. "Shego?" He called, the noise of the partying room already dwindling. "Are you in here?"

"What?!" 

Shego, astonished, suddenly remembered this scene in her mind and whispered, unknowingly, only for the Monique-Spirit to hear. "O-no..."

It was her twenty-two-year old self; she was dressed in the familiar suit of green-and-black patches. A back-pack was out, already full of items, this Shego was still filling it while checking a cell-phone text message. 

Hego stopped short inside the room and assessed the situation. "You're… you're going someplace?" Her brother spoke softly.

"H'm?" the twenty-two-year old Shego barely heard him speak, her attention still on the text message. After a moment or two of pressing some buttons, Shego looked up in a bored manner. "Sorry, what?"

"Where are you going?"

Shego smirked, "Got my first job; looks like this guy wants to hire me full time; seems like he's one of those evil scientists bent on world domination type of clients. Heh. The pay is good, real good. I'm leaving. Don't expect me back."

"World domination?" Hego inquired gently.

"Yup. Seems he likes my resume and has use for my talents. Can't remember his name. I think he said 'Duh'-something or other. Whatever."

"Shego, I didn't really take you serious at first, but you are, aren't you?!"

Shego had turned her attention back to filling up her pack. "Huh? Yea, sure."

Hego's face was disheartened, "Shego, why leave the Go Team? Why… why follow this path of _evil_?" (and he spoke the word like it was a bad omen) "It's not like you, we used to fight the very evil you're so bent on creating side-by-side!"

She stood up from bending over, her long black hair swaying as she did. "Look. Reality check: I'm past that, ok? Evil is _much_ more profitable, and with my fighting talents and this!-" And the Shego in the memory grinned maliciously, her black lips curving devilishly, she brought a clawed hand to her face and with a flick of her hand, she lit a green-plasma flame so it surrounded her fist, little black bits burning within it. "It'll be all the more worthwhile!"

"Shego!" Hego cried, "Shame on you! That ability was given for a purpose! You're to use them in kindness… to defend yourself against the eminence of wickedness. You're letting its power take hold of you, and blind you from its original purpose. Shego, please!" Hego begged, taking a step forward towards his sister. "Don't let it consume your heart and mind… stop now before it's too late. Say no to this 'Duh'-something fellow. Leave behind these temptations of sin before it ensnares your heart and-"

"Save the preach for someone who cares!" Shego snapped back and slung her back over her shoulder.

Hego implored one last time, "Please, it's Christmas Eve. Remember the Christmas spirit, Shego. Come, party with us! Be merry and bring the heart, the joys that only Christmas can bring. You used to love it… let's go into the next room and join the throng! (That and the limbo contest is going to start in ten, and you're so good at it, Mego and I need you on our team.)"

"Cram it. I'm leaving, just deal. Christmas: bah, bug and hum!"

"You are not the sister I once knew."

"Obviously."

And on that last note, the twenty-two-year old Shego, with the cell-phone in hand, walked out of the room with not even a look back or a wave of good-bye to her dear brother. He watched, woebegone, at his sister's departing form and when she was gone from the room, he stood there still, until he heard the shutting of the front door to which he sat in a chair and buried his head in his hands.

"No!" the Present Shego cried, although this memory of Hego could not hear her. She ran to the hall and called after her own self, "Don't go! You're making a mistake!! Come back, he's telling you the truth!" But her memory self was already gone, and of course, even if she was there, she wouldn't be able to heed her. 

"O, Hego!" She cried and reached out for her brother. "I didn't know I was so harsh to him…"

"It is hard to understand one's own action while living in the moment."

Shego forgot someone could hear her and she turned to the Monique-Spirit, standing just behind her. "Stop this, Monique! Stop this from happening, use your stupid faerie-dust or whatever!"

The Monique-Spirit shook her head, "These are shadows of events that once were, you can not change the past. But by _learning_ from the past, you can alter your future."

"O, Shut-up!" Shego cried aloud, if this world was conscious of Shego's presence, the whole party would have broken to her shouts. "Shut-up; shut-up; _shut-up_!! Take me _away_ from this horrible place! Do it now!"

The Monique-Spirit did not waver, but just stood where she was, studying Shego, emotionless. 

"Don't just stand there!" Shego yelled, and she sprang forward, snagging the over-sized brass candle-snuffer and then with a heave of her might, she brought the candle-snuffer back, and then into the Monique-Spirit. The light that had resonated from the Monique-Spirit poured out from under the candle-snuffer, but soon they started to dim. Shego stood huffing angrily, her brow knotted, staring cruelly at the candle-snuffer.

Soon, the light dimmed until it diminished. And Shego, the memory of Hego and the entire room was plunged into darkness…


	3. Stave Three

_Author's Note:_

O wow x.x! Ok, let's start off first with a little explanation- I am –_so- _sorry for the prolonged uploading of this Stave! But interestingly, enough, I do have a good explanation; my computer had a virus. I had to save everything I could (yes, I managed to salvage this story!), then take it into the shop for a complete clean wipe that took a little over a week, heh. When I received my computer, my ISP was down, how ironic ;U. Anyway, once I had everything re-installed, I had other, more important business to attend to, I'm afraid ;0;

With that aside, let's talk about this Stave. This one was probably my most favourite to write, for obvious reasons as you progress with the story; and you finally find out who Kim is married too -lol.

Another reason why it took me awhile to upload this Stave is because I added an extra scene, which I had originally planned in my head, but it never made the cut. Probably because at the time this was written, I had different, aa- 'situation' surrounding Kim and the father of the child (who will be revealed in the story, but I don't want to spoil it just yet), this extra scene was written to explain and go into detail about the emotions between the two characters, Shego's reaction, yadda, yadda But, since I changed the relation (note, not the person) of the father of the child between Kim, I felt this scene no longer had importance. I was wrong. I wrote it in, tailoring it to fit the current story, and, personally, I'm so glad I gave myself the allowance.

NOW. ON TO THE STORY XD!!

(insert _Kim Possible_ disclaimer here)

-A. King (SE)

* * *

****

**Stave ****3******

_The Second of the Three Spirits_

When Shego was to next find herself, it would be in her own bed once again, awaking from (apparently) a sleep. But how could this be? Was it not just too long ago that she had been consulting with Spirits (one that looked like Monique!) and viewing visions of her own, wretched past? Yet again, only such things could occur in dreams, could they not? … So why was Shego fretting over the fact that it might have been real. When it _obviously_ wasn't.

Still… that didn't help ease her. Not when the memories of her long ago past now newly acquired once again, haunted her afresh. Had she ever been that cruel? To her own brother? And over what..? _Stop!_ Shego's mind screamed, _Why__ am I judging who I am? I'm damned well content with who I am! First I have dreams of Drakken (whom Kim had defeated) coming back and talking to me about unfashionable chains in my afterlife and then a stupid ghost that (resembles a friend of Kim Possible) decides to show me images of the past. And not good scenes either. Like… like I'm supposed to feel _guilt_. _

Well THAT was highly unlikely! A psychiatrist might analyze that Shego's conscience was beginning to stir her conscious being; and the added fact that both people that had been in the dream (Drakken and Monique) both linked to Kim Possible. So, point in fact, it was not her argument with her brother that day that was troubling her dreams, but the confrontation with Kim!

_But what?_ Shego huffed, sitting herself up in the pitch-black room, like she had never left her room from before the Monique-Spirit had visited. _I've had loads of goes at Kim and it never bothered me before. I've laughed in her face, had joy in her pain… so why is it bothering me now? Why should it!? Just because I made her work two extra hours with no pay on Christmas day? You've got to do better than ghostly apparitions and memories of the past to stir _my_ heart!_

Or did the memories have any truth?

Nay, they did not. At least, not to the apathetic heart that lurked within Shego.

So that was that, the matter was settled, back to sleep Shego would go. That was _twice_ she had awoken in the middle of the night. Never, not _ever_ had this happened before!

_Stupid Kim Possible…_ Shego hissed in her thoughts. _At first I was going to dock her pay for the whole day to-morrow, but now… O now! I'm going to be malicious to that brat and take away her pay for a full week! See how she survives on _that_ with her posse and pending member! It'll make her think twice before messing with my mind… sleep schedule, more like…_

And with a huff and a puff, then a trademark _snort_! Shego tossed her herself to lay on her right side and pulled the comforter around her so it billowed overtop.

Shego didn't even have time to even _think_ of closing her eyes which was what had been her prior decision of action. Wide-open they shot and stayed, blown like a ball to a bat, was this reality? Nay, but surely yes!

Because there… _yes_! Right there in her very own bedroom a new and anomalous sight had beheld her, captivating her entire being. It was just… so utterly _random_. Out of the blue, there was no-way to have expected such a spectacle. The room looked no longer to be her own; it was filled to the brim with wondrous delights! Not a moment ago, Shego had been in surrounding darkness, but now, behold! the fire shined bright and crackled in merry cheer; it warmed the room and everything it touched. And was there ever a lot to touch! Food… food was everywhere. There were tables and chairs, and upon each piled precariously high were silver trays bearing fruit (grapes, pears, apples, oranges and more!), cheese, bread that contained lustrous spices, cakes: strawberry-shortcake, chocolate, vanilla, fruit, O! too many to number and give name! Cakes meant dessert and they were not alone in this category, that would be blasphemy! Puddings, treacle, flaun… pies and ice cream (it didn't melt a drip!) of every flavour in the world. Saliva-craving meats were chicken, turkey, ham, suckling pig, duck, lamb (a massacre, no doubt!), all were roasted to the most perfect point that would do any chef or butcher proud. Wine, tokay… Shego had no licked a drop, but she was sure it would be a delicate fine.

So many foods, they had to be scattered on blinking silver on the floor too, adjacent to the presents. Presents, scattered the floor; all in odd shape boxes and wrapped in metallic colours that complemented the fire; all topped in glistening bows. And to the side, there was a tree: a Christmas tree! It was tall, green and not a branch to be seen, it was all so absolute in its greenery. Decorated with glittery ribbons (red, purple, green, blue!), sugar canes (white, red, green!), bobbles (silver, gold, red, blue!), tinsel (silver and gold!) and the heavenly Guiding Star gold in its glory, the finishing touch to warm the heart.

So much to observe, so much to see, but one thing more! For in the middle of all this splendour was a single green plush chair, a fine chair made of wood and felt. But it was not the _chair_ that Shego found absurd of all, but the _person_ who sat in the chair.

She was sitting side-ways, her bare legs thrown over the side. She was dressed only in a green robe trimmed with white fur with an enormous black belt and golden buckle to hold it all together around her waist. It hung bellow her bare shoulders, leaving some cleavage and showed an awful lot of leg. And capped upon her head was a wreath of holly. Her manner was humdrum, not even noticing Shego, but appeared instead to be intent on filing her nails.

Shego didn't know whether or not she ought to speak out; and if she tried, would anything come out of her throat?

But Shego didn't have to, for the intruder turned her head lazily and cast a glance over her shoulder. "O good." She said holding her nail file in her hand. "You turned around, I was wondering when you'd get to that… brooding terribly in the other direction… You know if you brood too much it'll leave crease marks in your forehead."

Was she for real?

"Look," The intruder said, now swinging her bare legs over the chair handle and placed her bare feet on the floor, sitting straight. "Let's just cut to the chase, shall we? I am the Ghost of Christmas Present. And no- let's not get into this. Not _present2: n. /prézzn't/ gift_ but _present1: /prézzn't/ adj. existing or being dealt with now_. Get it?"

Shego snarled, "Yea, um, hello? I knew that!"

"Whatever." The Spirit flipped her brown hair over her shoulder, it came to just a little past her shoulders, actually. Her skin was a dark-tan and her eyes were like a turquoise. Her appearance… her attitude…

"I know you!" Shego cried, thrusting an accusing finger forwards. "You were that witchy cheerleader girl known to-" Shego gasped audibly, "To _Kim Possible_! Bonnie, that's your name! Bonnie Rockwaller."

The Bonnie-Spirit made an agitated sound in her throat, "Did you not hear a single word I just said? I'm not Bon-Bon or whatever, I'm _The Ghost of Christmas Present_. So if you'll grab a hold of my robe (don't pull!), we can be on our way; I'm on a time limit you know."

And she tossed her nail file aside and flung herself to a standing stance. Strolling over to the window in bad posture, she turned to face Shego. "I said bust a move! We've got places to go and I _don't_ have all night."

Shego eyed the Bonnie-Spirit suspiciously, first Drakken, then Monique and now another link to Kim Possible! This was becoming outrageous… But nonetheless, Shego rolled her eyes, caved in and strutted forwards.

Taking a hold of the Bonnie-Spirit's robe, the last thing Shego said was: "When we get back, you'd better have removed that junk from my room-"

And they were off!

Through the window they flew, the Bonnie-Spirit's robe rippling in the wind, this flight was much different than that of the ride with the Monique-Spirit. Instead, they flew over Middleton, no blurring buildings, no speeding lights, but at a stable speed, as though Shego was supposed to be taking in the sights. And so she did.

Down below, people still walked the streets, but what hour it was, Shego had no notion. Stores were still open, yellow light streaming from the stores onto the snowy streets… people in shabby clothes exchanging 'And a Very Merry Christmas'es to each other, not a scant of deficit in their voice, so unlike their clothes.

Indeed, people were laughing as grouped in throngs, they sauntered lively as they approached houses in poor condition, but were greeted most gleefully by the home-owners intent on partying the Christmas night away.

_How in the world can those people act so content and carefree when they're all so sickingly poor?_ Shego pondered as she flew above their heads.

They continued to speed through the air when Shego cried out above the wind, "Are we almost there yet?"

"Hold your horses!" the Bonnie-Spirit retorted, "Just down here…"

It was when they landed did Shego come to realise they were in a poor part of Middleton (but then most of Middleton was poor now that Shego had taken reign). The house was in squalid conditions and she could only think baffled as to why they came to _this_ place.

"What are we doing here? Who lives here?" She demanded of the Bonnie-Spirit who now stood; hand on hip, inspecting her finger nails through her ever narrowed eyes.

"Why don't you take a step inside, go through the walls, no-one can see us," She said, her eyes still on her nails.

Shrugging inwardly, Shego trudged forward to the house the Bonnie-Spirit following shortly after. Only one moment of hesitation outside the house, then Shego stepped through the walls and found herself inside the house.

The walls were a bland off-white and undecorated, the floor of worn wood. There was a table with seven chairs, one at the head, both a matching set and made of a cheap wood chipped and worn, not much unlike the floor she stood on. To the left was a flight of stairs that led to the second floor. The room was lit with a bulb overhead, not casting very much light. Directly across from Shego on the other side of the table and chairs was a kitchen, much apart of this room. An oven, a stove, a counter and a pantry. And three figures who Shego recognised instantly.

"So how's the dinner coming along?" Wade Load asked, standing beside the counter.

"As much as it can be with what we have," Ron Stoppable replied while stirring a pot with a wooden spoon. "But hey, we splurged a little since it's Christmas."

"Whee, Christmas!" Rufus chirpped, standing on Ron's shoulder.

_(Is that thing still alive?! _Shego thought.)

Ron craned his neck around the room, "So where's the twins?"

"In the next room," Wade replied eyeing the pot Ron was stirring.

"Without supervision!?" Ron cried, "They'll blow something up! We can't afford to loose anymore appliances. We lost the toaster, the microwave, the TV…"

Wade helped Ron count by holding up his fingers and sticking one up every time Ron named a different appliance.

"Or did we sell the TV? I can't remember. If Jim and Tim continue to mangle our appliances _they'll_ be the ones to send us to the poor house, not Shego." Ron growled, giving the spoon a spiteful flick. "It's a good thing Kim put boundaries to the oven and stove, I dunno what we'd do without it."

"Yes, yes," Wade chuckled, "We know if it were legal you would have married the oven instead of Kim."

Ron scowled at Wade and flicked him with the spoon; Rufus laughed. "You know," Ron said after much thought, "It's actually been kind of quiet in the next room… think maybe they fell asleep or lost any ability whatsoever to cause trouble?"

"Yea, when the sky rains money!"

Before Ron could make any sort of response, a loud **_KABOOM!!_ **resonated from the neighbouring room and a billow of smoke flaunted into the room.

"_Waaade__!!_" Ron cried out tersely.

"On it!" Wade replied, bustling from the room in a flash.

Ron raised his head to the roof as if in a silent cry for help. Not a moment later, Wade strolled suspiciously casual-like back into the room to take his previous place by the counter.

"So, the weather… it's nice, no?" Wade asked.

"What's the damage?" Ron asked piteously.

"They blew up a mail box."

"…"

"?"

"We don't have a mail box."

"I know," Wade replied, trying (but failing miserably) to act and look nonchalant. "O, and on a _totally_ unrelated topic that has nothing in any way to the previous conversation whatsoever, we owe the neighbours ten bucks."

Ron threw up his hands in desperation, "We don't even have ten bucks to spare! Wade, what are we going to do?"

"Uh… is this a trick question?"

"You're supposed to be a _super genius_, can't you come up with anything?!"

"O, sure! Blame the guy with a four digit IQ for the current state of poverty!"

Ron sighed heavily and resumed stirring the pot, "Sorry, Wade. Didn't mean to bark at you, we all know it has nothing to do with you."

"It's ok, I often feel bad for not being able to do anything…"

"Don't."

"I know," Wade sighed, his eyes drooping, "But I can't help it."

"I know the feeling," Ron responded and Rufus let out a little squeaky moan expressing his own displeasure. A few moments past in silence and Shego was just too caught up in the entire situation to notice any difference or react to a word that had been said.

Then Ron spoke again: "So, where's Kim? I don't think I've seen her around for awhile."

Wade cast a crestfallen face, "Upstairs, in bed. She wasn't feeling well."

"Again?" Ron implored; both their voices became soft and full of concern. "This isn't right, Wade. She shouldn't have this pain that she feels, I'm worried. It's been happening for how long now? Ever since the second month and it's now the fifth? She also looks pale at times… we need to take her to a doctor."

"You think I don't know that? I'm worried for them _both_, but who's got the money for a doctor? They're not exactly cheap…"

"Shego jacked up the prices… I bet she'd rather we suffer in pain than see professional help," Ron looked as though he had just seen something cryptically morbid.

"She's sadistic," Wade put in.

Rufus nodded in agreement on Ron's shoulder, "Macabre!" He stuck out his tongue in dislike.

"And she goes out of her way to make sure_ we _suffer worse than anyone else just because we tried to prevent people like _her_ from taking over the world." Ron added, his nose wrinkled. "All this talk of Shego is making me nauseous, I'm… I'm going to go check up on Kim, ok? And Wade? Could you watch over the supper? Rufus- you're head of Tweeb Duty."

Rufus saluted him, bounded off his shoulder and scampered out of the room to keep a careful eye on Kim's twin seventeen-year old brothers. Wade nodded and took the wooden spoon from Ron and continued the labour of stirring the pot.

Walking out of the room, Ron leaned back and pointed at Wade, "And no taste tests!"

"Hey!" Wade cried out indignantly, "I resent that!"

"What's happened to Kim?" Shego turned to ask the Bonnie-Spirit. "I-I didn't even know anything was wrong, she didn't tell me."

The Bonnie-Spirit looked at Shego through her narrowed eyes and shook her head from side to side slowly, "Did you really expect Kim to come and tell the 'sadistic' and 'morbid' Shego her pains and troubles?" She retorted.

Blinking, Shego had no response.

Ron walked up the stairs, a hand on the rail and Shego and the Bonnie-Spirit followed him undetected. The upper floor hall was very small with one bathroom, and just two rooms. Turning down the hall on his right, Ron walked the short distance to a door that was not completely shut, it was adjacent just a sliver, no light shone through the crack.

Shego and the Bonnie-Spirit paused just behind Ron, he held his breath, then faced the door and knocked softly, "Kim?" He called quietly. He placed a hand on the loose doorknob and pushed it open slowly. Walking in, the room was dark, but light from downstairs carried to this flight and shapes could be seen in the room.

"H'm?" Replied a voice that Shego knew to be Kim's, "You can turn on the light, Ron."

Ron obliged obediently, strode into the room and seated himself on the bed close to Kim. "Did I wake you?" He asked.

"Huh, no," Kim responded. She lay underneath the blanket, one arm on her stomach, the other cast over her forehead. "I couldn't sleep."

"Um, hard day at work?" Ron ventured.

"Yes, but that's not why."

"I know." A pause, then, "How're you feeling now?

"I bit better, I guess."

"O. That's good."

"I suppose."

The two were silent for awhile, not looking at each other. Shego held her breath and leaned against the wall (no, she didn't go through it, for she willed not to) with her hands behind her back.

Kim spoke next, breaking the profound silence, her voice breaking and a tear or two sliding down her cheek. "Ron, I can't take this anymore! It's _so_ insane! I just can't _handle_ all of this, it's like I'm stuck in a nightmare and no matter how much I try to run, I'm stuck in slow motion. I never thought something like the sitch we're in would _ever_ happen, it seems so unreal! I just… I wish my parents were here…" And she sobbed some more.

This was something Shego had never seen before. The Great Kim Possible _crying_?! Was that even an emotion Kim was capable of? Shego thought in astonishment. Seeing this tough girl, who was the only equal match Shego had ever fought, _cry_ was something… almost… maybe, yes perhaps, a reality check for Shego. Now it was Shego who felt her surroundings to be unreal.

Ron didn't speak but gazed at Kim sympathetically, allowing her to continue.

"I don't know what happened to them, they just disappeared the day after Shego took over; haven't seen them since! Yours too… and Wade's… It's not a coincidence, Ron. I'm sure it was Shego… she did something to them. And now she indirectly torments us for never knowing their fate!" And she brought her hands to her face and sobbed some more.

"Hey, don't blame it on me!" Shego shouted, although in vain. But it _was_ the truth. Shego had done nothing to Kim, Ron or Wade's parents, in fact, she didn't even know of their disappearance, it was a shock to her.

But Ron did what he does best and tried to lighten the situation. "Maybe they joined some sort of underground rebel group!" He suggested cheerily, in efforts to calm Kim down.

To Shego's surprise, Kim actually found this funny and laughed lightly. "If they did, I'd like to join them rather than sit here on my butt twiddling my thumbs!"

The couple laughed together softly, but then Kim stirred and said in a depressed tone, "But we _can't_ because of these bracelets Shego trapped us with." And she held up an arm into the air to show off the silver tracker Shego had specifically marked the Possibles, Ron and Wade with. They were, after all, her number one threat. She _had_ to keep some sort of tab on them, didn't she?

Ron held up his own wrist and examined the silver band that tracked him. "You'd think with Wade and Jim and Tim in tow we'd be able to get them off… I was never one for bling-bling."

Kim nodded silently, then stirred again, but this time to prop herself up against the pillow and headboard. "Talking about the tweebs, how have they been behaving?"

Ron evaded this question easily, "Shh. I was going to say something, let me say it before I forget."

Tilting her head down, Kim evaluated Ron. "Are you just saying that to avoid my question?"

"Of course not."

"Then what were you going to say?"

"…"

"…"

"The weather… it's nice. Look! Snow!" Ron sprung from the bed and flew to the window on the other side. Indeed it was snowing, it hadn't been when Shego and the Bonnie-Spirit took flight. Odd, that. It had been when Shego walked to her penthouse.

Shego walked over to the window and stood beside Ron who did not know she existed. The snow was drifting down from the rich, blue sky, the golden stars above gazing down upon Middleton sombrely. The snow lighted down on the white ground below. Against the night sky, the snow appeared to glow, like the radiant wings of angels, torn from the owner and dropped carelessly onto the streets.

Realising that Kim's sidekick was beside her, she turned to take a look at him. Shego had never really acknowledged him in the past, after all, Kim had been her opponent. And even though she did not know him well, she had to admit, to see him so silent and solemn felt foreign to her.

His light brown eyes watched the snow fall from the heavens, tears of the angels, bless the ground. They shimmered sadly, the world outside reflecting depressingly like a window to a realm that had been taken away from them. For although all he had to do was step outside his door to be in the snow and the scene before him, it still felt worlds away, not the physical outside, but what it was representing… the freedom, the peace… the snow… how entrancing it could be in it's fresh purity that Christmas night.

"Ron!" Kim appealed, breaking the sentimentality, "You're avoiding the question! Jim and Tim have done something, haven't they?"

Ron flashed a grin and spoke: "And just think: to-morrow is Christmas day! You asked Shego for the day off didn't you? Because you told me you would before you left for work this morning." Kim had planned to ask her?! Shego thought and she shrunk small against the wall. "Just think… a whole day off, you hadn't had that since… since, like, forever! We'll be able to have a nice sleep in, h'm?"

Avoiding Ron's cheerful expression and unbeknownst to him, Kim turned her head and bit her lower lip. _Don't tell him!_ Shego thought warningly, _Just slip off unnoticed to-morrow and I'll give you the day off!_

Ron ambled back over to the bed, and this time slipped himself under the covers to nestle close to Kim.

"Ron," Kim spoke suddenly in a much gentler tone as if Ron had walked into the room for the first time, "I… I'm, actually frightened…"

Ron said nothing. He just stared at the bland ceiling above him, his hands resting on his chest with a solemn face. If his eyes were closed (and with his pale complexion), Shego might have taken him for dead.

"About the future, I should say," Kim carried on; she too stared at the ceiling. With the two of them so intent on staring at the ceiling, someone might think it was the most fascinating of ceilings in the world. "Ron, I'm only twenty-three! I'm too young to have a kid… a child... a baby…"

"Are you blaming me?" Ron asked, still not looking at anything but the ceiling.

Kim was the first to steal a glance at the other, her eyes darted rather nervously. "Of course not." Her voice was much more confident than her facial expression lead Shego to believe. "You know, because of what happened, Shego taking over the world when we were so young, I sometimes wonder if, inside, I've aged at all. Ever since she took over, and even though the years have turned by, I still feel the same. It doesn't feel like any time has passed at all. Maybe that's why I'm feeling like I am…"

"Which is?"

"Too young; nervous, anxious, scared… everything I never used to feel. I don't…" She didn't complete her sentence; Shego was very curious to know what Kim would have said next, but she couldn't ask and Ron was not pressing her to say. "Maybe we shouldn't have…"

"Bit late for that."

"But what if-"

"Seriously, KP, what's done is done. Don't dwell on the 'what if's', you'll just dig yourself into a pit of depression and then you'll bring down the whole house, including me. They rely on you, Kim and so do I."

Kim looked back at Ron, but this time she held him in her gaze. "That's deep, coming from you."

Ron smiled crookedly, "Is it?" He mused.

"But Ron…" Kim said softly, "I feel worse and worse all the time, the pain... One time when I was walking home from work, I felt like I was going to collapse…"

Before Kim could say more, which she was intending, Ron turned to face her abruptly. "When was this?"

"Tchach," Kim waved a hand dismissively, "I dunno, awhile ago."

"You didn't tell me."

"Because I didn't want you to stress, duh."

"Duh," Ron mimicked sarcastically, rolling his eyes- back to staring at the ceiling.

Shego smiled sadly to herself without knowing she did, for all their talks and acting like adults (which, technically, they were), like Kim had said, they still were teenagers deep inside, which was rather disturbing if Shego contemplated the matter. In fact, they didn't seem to have matured at all in character, not that she _knew_ much of their character. But she could still recognise their teenager-like behaviour. She wondered what the circumstances were surrounding their pending child (_heh__, _she had her guesses) and whether they were actually _mature_ enough to nurture one (again, she had guesses for that one too).

"Ron…" Kim continued, selecting her words with caution, but this time, her voice began to choke, as if she was on the verge of a terrible realisation. "You, uh… um… you'd still take care of everyone no matter what, right?"

"Huh -what?"

Tears began to form in the corners of Kim's eyes, "I think it's a really big possibility that something could happen to me, you know, with the way I've been feeling lately- the pain. It's terrible… I'm frightened… frightened about when it's time, I mean, my goodness, Ron- I'm so _young_, my Mother never talked to me about any of this or what to do because of my age when she disappeared, there was no reason for me to have bothered with knowing; and- and we don't even have money for a- for a doctor… for when it's time!"

Ron instantly paled.

He shifted uncomfortably where he lay, "We'll manage somehow…"

"Remember that movie we watched in class based on the novel we read for English Lit-"

"Don't remind me!!" Ron wailed, "Please, I think it's been burned into my memory forever…"

"Even if I _was_… healthy… I doubt I'd make it if it's going to be like _that_…"

"Dear God, I hope that was over-dramatized…"

"…and yet… somehow, I doubt that…"

"Kim, I'm no doctor, so, is it, like, ok that I'm, like, in another room?"

"Beyond ok, I don't need you in the room freaking out and having seizures, the doctor might have to tend to _you_ instead!"

Ron laughed, "Naw, I think I'll just faint… or go into a coma."

"At least it'd silence you!"

The two laughed genuinely, acting like their old selves from a past long since left behind.

Ron snuggled himself closer to Kim, tucking his head right next to hers, "Maybe I'll get Wade to pick up a book from the library, after all, he _is_ a super-genius."

"O?"

"Yush, '_Midwiving__ for Dummies'_."

That made the two of them laugh again, Kim comically agreed that Wade would make a suitable replacement should they not afford a doctor. They went on to discussing, jokingly, how the two of them planned to spring their plan on Wade.

After their chatter dimmed down, they just rested together, enjoying each other's company in silence. They did not need words to express how they were feeling nor their emotions for one another; just staying still together were words enough for Shego.

It made some feeling of some kind run down the spine of her back, making her feel confused, and yet somehow at peace at the same time, she wasn't sure how that was possible. To Shego, it suddenly dawned on her that perhaps these two had something she did not. Yet how could that be, when she had more money than them? Whatever they had, it was current in this very room, she could_ feel_ it. Looking around the room at all the material items, she saw nothing that she did not already have (and in a much better state tool!). Shego promised to dwell on this some more, whatever it was, it would take more thinking.

"I think dinner's just about ready, are you going to come down with me?" Ron spoke, breaking the tranquillity of the surrounding silence. He said tenderly, "Maybe if you're not feeling well, you should just stay in bed. I can bring something up to you if you feel hungry."

Kim tsked at Ron and attempted to sit herself up. "Yea, Ron? Ok, a) stop avoiding my questions and b) don't be a fr00b. Of course I'm coming down to dinner, it's Christmas Eve, after all." And she smiled, "And I think you, Wade and Rufus require some help exercising some control on the tweebs?"

Helping Kim up, Ron took her arm and they walked together from the room to the hall and stairs, Ron turned off the light to conserve their very limited energy.

"Only if you're feeling alright, we don't want to make you feel like you're obligated to eat with us." Ron said.

"Gee, Ron, that hurts," Kim laughed. "And tell me what happened with the tweebs. I'm serious, Ron!" She gave him a quelling look. "It'd be better if you told me than if I receive the blow from seeing if for myself."

Heaving a sigh, Ron caved in, "Sweat not, Kim, it's nothing of ours."

"O, that makes me feel _so_ much better," Kim retorted sarcastically.

"Yea, and on a _totally_ unrelated topic that has _nothing_ in _any_ way to the previous conversation _whatsoever_, we owe our neighbours ten bucks, ok?"

"_What!?_"

Before Kim could wrangle a decent answer out of Ron, they both (and Shego and the Bonnie-Spirit) reached the kitchen slash dining room within it they could hear fervent whisperings and the water tap running.

"_Hurry, I think I hear their voices-"_

_"-If Kim notices anything, we're in huge trouble-"_

_"I have nothing to do with this!"_

_"-It's not coming off!"_

"What's going on? What won't come off?" Kim commanded upon entering the scene. Jim and Tim were by the kitchen sink washing their hands hastily, soap frothing high. Wade was at the side, wringing his hands, sweat on his brow and Rufus was on the counter squealing in distress.

"Aa!" Wade cried out, when he heard Kim speak. "Hi! How are you?"

Caught unaware, Jim and Tim wheeled around right on the spot, their hands dripping water and their hands covered in soap froth. "Kim!" They both cried as one.

Glaring at Jim and Tim, Kim raised her haunches, "What's going on..?"

"I am _not_ in any way apart of this!" Wade declared and took a seat at the dinner table.

"Gee, thanks!" Tim scowled at Wade.

"Yea, way to help us!"

Ron watched distressed at Kim, who grated her teeth and sighed heavily, rubbing her forehead with her hand. She reached out and grasped Tim's hands, looking underneath the soap she found their hands to be charred black. "Ok, _someone_ tell me what happened. Let's get this over with so we can eat."

"We were only trying to help!" Tim exclaimed.

"Yea!" Jim concurred. "For you, Kim… a Christmas present."

"Are you two just trying to butter me up?" Kim demanded, purely stressed.

"No!" The tweebs shouted in unison.

"But _what_ did you do?" Kim cried, exasperated.

Jim and Tim exchanged nervous glances with each other and shuffled their feet. Seeing as no proper answer would come out and Kim looked so full of anxiety, which wasn't recommended for someone in her position, Wade decided to end the matter. "They blew up a mail box."

"Ten bucks worth." Ron interjected; he was back at the oven and was now preparing the plates.

Kim looked like she was about to break down again, "Ron! Why weren't you watching them?!"

"He was preparing our dinner," Wade helped.

"Not my kids." Ron replied absent-mindedly while bringing out cups from the shelf.

"Not mine either," Kim growled and glared at her brothers.

"Look, we're really, _really_ sorry!" Jim pleaded with his older sister.

Tim nodded at his brother and turned to Kim in earnest. "Yea, it wasn't supposed to blow up yet!"

"_YET?!?_"

"Well, fine! Spoil your Christmas surprise!" Jim huffed, crossing his soapy arms.

Tim said proudly, "We were making you a home-made bomb!"

"_A WHAT?!?_"

"Yea!" Tim said enthusiastically, holding up his hands, his eyes bright obviously ignorant to Kim's bewilderment.

"We were going to give it to you to give to Shego on Christmas Day!" Jim nodded at his sister this time.

Tim grinned devilishly, "I'd be all wrapped up-"

"Like a Christmas gift!"

"-And give it to Shego-"

"-Then it would blow up in her face-

"-Ridding us of her-"

"-For ever!" Jim finished excitedly.

Shego sucked her lips, keenly disturbed.

Again, Kim brought a hand to her forehead, "Yea, thanks, I appreciate your concern and all, but _no_." A smile played about on Kim's face and she drew herself closer to her brothers. "Jim, Tim, I can't do that, it's not right. If we get rid of her, it has to be fairly."

Jim cried out intensely upset, "Why?!"

"She's never fair with _us_!"

"Yea, look at what we have to live in!" True, it was a far cry from the Possible residence Kim had lived in with her parents and brothers before Shego took over.

"I _know_," Kim replied softly, putting her arms around them both. "But that's not the way, _even_ for Shego. Now go finish washing your hands."

Wade nodded but Ron said nothing. Shego, on the other hand looked at Kim quizzically. Through all the fights and banter they had had, Kim replied with the answer that she did. It baffled Shego, that's not what _she'd_ say if she were in Kim's shoes.

"Dinner!" Ron chimed.

"Alright!" Jim and Tim smiled and leapt into their seats along with Rufus who sat on the table; Kim took her place at the head of the table.

Passing out the plates, Ron circled the table, giving everyone (Rufus included) a meal. Lastly, Ron laid his own plate on the table then returned to pass out the cups. One last trip to the kitchen, Ron placed the turkey tray in the middle of the table for all to see. Lifting off the lid, he then took his seat on Kim's right.

Shego looked upon their meal and frowned intensely, wrinkling her nose. _That_ was their meal? Why, altogether, it was barely a meal for one! On each plate was a small pile of mashed potatoes and barely a sprinkle of sauce on top (perhaps one of their Christmas splurges), a couple of peas and to the side, a small saucer (maybe the size of a sake cup!) of soup with some spices (another Christmas splurge). The bird itself was the most scrawniest bird Shego had ever laid eyes upon. It certainly could _not_ be a turkey, why, it was far too small. _Is that a lark?_ She thought despondently while poking her nose with an arm crossed

"You know," Kim said, before they ate their meal. "We should thank someone."

'Who?' they all had asked.

"Don't bite, but I think we should thank Shego for our meal."

Blank stares followed from all around the table, including Shego herself.

"If it weren't for her-" Kim was having trouble forming the words and Shego reflected back guiltily for how she had treated Kim, forcing her to work extra hours the next day for no pay. "If it weren't for her," Kim continued, "We wouldn't be having this meal."

Something sparked inside Ron and he shuffled with hostility in his seat. "You're right!" He snapped at no-one in particular, his face flushed, "We'd be having better!"

Angry agreements coursed through Jim and Tim, they nodded their heads and leaned forward, peering at Ron.

"Ron, I'm serious." Kim said serenely.

"And so am I!" He replied defiantly. Shego didn't think she'd ever seen this usually sensitive boy become so brash. "We have nothing to thank her for. Actually, we should all pray for her downfall!"

Kim nodded, her hands placed upon her lap, "And we should, but we should also thank her. She could have put us in worse conditions we could be in a prison-cell or on the streets. At least she pays us and lets us live together."

"She only treats us the way she does to watch us suffer because she gets some kind of sick pleasure from it!" Ron insisted stubbornly. "It's not kindness; it's her own brand of cruelty."

"But _still_, Ron; even so. We give thanks to her for making this decision to pay us when she could watch us suffer without pay to live…" Kim _still_ said this after Shego had treated her, and how she was persisting it so! What guilt stirred in Shego's cold heart?

Ron cast his head away from Kim and closed his eyes in bold resistance, "I'll drink to her for your sake, Kim, because you work for her and have to deal with her day in and day out. But _not_ for her."

Kim seemed to accept this and they raised the glasses (Rufus had a little cup) and drank, "To Shego!" They all said and drank their drinks.

If only I could express in words what Shego was feeling then, but I can not. Not even she knew what she was feeling. It was such a jumble of emotions all rushing at once, there was no way to even name them all, for some even opposed others.

After they drank their glasses, they bean to eat. But once the bird was cut and pieces were handed out to each of the six plates, to Shego's curiosity, not one made complaints towards their meal. No, why instead, they complimented Ron on his fine cookery skills and said things like 'You cooked the bird just right, Ron!', 'This soup is scrumptious, I've never tasted anything like it, Ron!' and 'Is it just me, or did you mash this potato just enough so it's not too chunky and not too smooth, Ron!?' (and '-pick up _Midwiving__ for Dummies!'_ 'SAY WHAAAT?!?!'.)

Indeed, they were a grateful, rag-tag family. Not one unpleasant face, not one tear, no-one looked into the spoonful of soup and wished for better. Shego found this deeply stirring inside her heart of ice and wasn't too sure why. If she had been in their place, she'd have complained and demanded for better. And yet this group was so humble about their dinner.

When they had finished eating their meal (it was a short meal, naturally) and Ron brought out the dessert, a treacle pudding (again, another Christmas specialty), Kim halted them all before launching themselves into the dreamy food.

"What is it, Kim?" Wade inquired, holding his spoon chancy in the air above his pudding.

"Well," Kim stalled, Shego anticipated what she was about to announce. "I have an announcement; I think I should say it before dessert."

"Is something wrong?" Ron asked; he placed his spoon down beside his saucer.

Again, Kim cast her face away, bit her lower lip then turned to face them again. "I didn't ask Shego for a day off." She blurted out.

_Oh, bloody hell, girl!_ Shego's mind raced, _I said, don't tell them!_

Everyone at the table looked startled, and Jim and Tim exchanged upset expressions. Ron was about to open his mouth when Kim continued hurriedly. "Shego brought it up herself, actually…"

The frowns flipped upside down into jubilant smiles. Jim and Tim now exchanged joyous expressions ("Hoosha!"), Rufus chattered happily, Wade smiled and Ron looked solaced. O! How crushing it would be once the truth became known to them!

"And…" Kim continued, now standing and wringing her hands anxiously, "She… she won't let me. I-in fact, I have to arrive two hours earlier than usual and… and I won't be paid for it."

Now how the anger flowed through the table occupants like a tidal wave! Just the reaction Shego had been expecting, none to happy either. Rufus chattered angrily; Wade: annoyed and began speaking while waving his spoon about as he did so; Jim and Tim hollering across the table to Kim; and Ron, his reaction was something of an enigma, Shego contemplated. He just sat in his seat, his face expressionless.

Kim wasn't the only one who noticed and when Jim, Tim, Rufus and Wade quieted down (for they too noticed Kim's attention had turned to a most curious Ron), they waited for someone to speak first.

And it was Ron who did, his voice was soft and quiet, he looked up at no-one, only starred at his plate, although not looking at it entirely. "And you told us to thank her." He said, his voice, such a calm, it was almost frightening.

"Ron, I tried!" Kim persisted and reached a hand out to his shoulder. "I really did…"

Shego expected Ron to furiously shrug off Kim's hand and storm out of the room, but he did not. No, instead, he lifted his spoon and said in the same soft voice, "Well, let's eat."

And they did.

It wasn't at all like how they had eaten their dinner, so full of laughter and life, and now reserved, sombre… saddened… The only sounds that were made were when the spoons scrapped the bottom of the saucer in attempts to scrape all the remaining pudding. This dessert appeared to last longer than the dinner had, it was most likely due to the unnerving factor that was felt throughout the room, including Shego and the Bonnie-Spirit.

Why, it was so silent, Shego's nerves were startled when the Bonnie-Spirit spoke.

"Pathetic, huh?" She said, conceitedly inspecting her nails again.

"Excuse me?" Shego said, turned her head to face the Bonnie-Spirit, she had been so enraptured by the going ons, she almost forgot the Spirit was still with her. Quite, she _had _forgotten.

"Them. Patheitc, huh? I mean, heh, getting worked up over silly things like having to work."

"But on Christmas day!" Shego waved her hand at the Bonnie-Spirit indignantly.

"So? Christmas is just a day with a name _and_ a number. What's the big deal?" The Bonnie-Spirit turned over her hand and began gazing around the room, seemingly interested in laying her eyes anywhere but on Shego.

"But it's a _special_ day, and they won't even be able to spend it together! Look at them… their dessert is spoiled…"

"Because of you."

That remark silenced Shego and she turned her head away from the Bonnie-Spirit and watched Kim, Ron, Wade, Jim, Tim and Rufus eat their dessert in solemn silence. She had, hadn't she? Why? Because she was angry at her brother? Because she was bored and wanted to torment someone just for pleasure? Had she been that cruel, not even twenty-four hours had it been! Was a warm flame melting the ice from Shego's heart?

They had finished their dessert, not a word had been uttered. Kim stood up precariously, Ron, Wade, Jim and Tim helped pack their saucers into the sink for cleaning.

"It's my turn to-night," Jim said, "To wash the dishes."

"And I'll dry." Tim said. No youthfulness filled their voices, it was monotonous, no lively expressions, so unlike these twins.

Wade and Ron nodded gravely, expressing their thanks to the two brothers. Kim, who had walked away from the dinner table, wobbled and said, "I… I'm not feeling well. In fact… I'm going to go lay in bed. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," chorused the family, the expected cheer in their voices replaced by concern for Kim's well being.

Slower than Shego had ever seen her move, she watched Kim slowly make her way to the staircase. Both Wade and Ron moved close to her, should she need their help. And she did.

Firstly, Kim winced in a sudden attack of pain and buckled forwards. A hand flew to her stomach and the other to her head. The sudden movement jarred Tim and Jim from their dish washing duties to rush to the aid of their sister; Ron, Rufus and Wade were already at her side faster than a flash of light.

"Kim!" They all cried out.

She collapsed to the floor on her knees where she continued to clutch her stomach, engrossed consuming in pain. Her face was contorted with a distressing expression and she lent forward on her knees now clinging to Ron's shirt who knelt in front of her with the rest of the family.

Shego forgot herself and her bitter emotions for Kim Possible, she became caught in the hustle surrounding Kim and too launched herself forward in intent to aid Kim. Realising she had nothing to offer for she was not known to them, Shego leered in panic over the group enclosing Kim, expressing great concern. She became lost in the shouts and sudden rush of movements, Shego couldn't even hear who was saying what; to Shego, they were all speaking at once.

"Quick!" Somebody cried out in misery, "Help her!"

"Kim, where does it hurt?!"

"Kim, can you hear me?!"

"Kim, what's wrong?!?" Ron cried out desperately, laying an urgent hand on her shoulder.

But Shego was never told what had occurred to Kim nor the reason why she had fallen to the floor, stricken with overwhelming pain; for Shego was suddenly whisked away out of the room against her will through the roof and into the sky. She cried out, stretching a hand to the family who was now diminishing in size as she flew further and further away. Backwards she was forced, her upper half willing to move forwards but her back half forcedly moving forwards.

Soon, the roof of their home concealed the perilous circumstances surrounding Kim and Shego was flying (now forwards) through the dark blue night sky, the stars laughing above her head. She found that her hand had been, unknowingly to her, placed holding onto the Bonnie-Spirit's green billowing robe.

Immediately after Shego and the Bonnie-Spirit touched the soft snowy ground (the location, Shego did not care), she strutted forwards, her hackles raised.

"Why did you take me away like that?! That's so _rude_!!" Shego snarled, pointing a finger at the Bonnie-Spirit.

If Shego expected the Bonnie-Spirit to tremble and stutter, she would have been greatly disappointed. Instead, rather, she stood with her hands on her hips and again in a bad posture. Her eyes narrowed as always, and responded: "Are you, like, what? Deaf? I told you we're on a schedule and I'm running out of time. This is our last stop, so take a look in that house over there," (she jerked a thumb in the direction of a house Shego had been too blinded by rage to even have noticed) "And let's get this over with."

"You brat!" She shouted back, not even looking at the house, "You whisked me away right at that moment on _purpose_! What's going to happen to Kim?! Is she going to be alright? _Tell me!!_" Shego craned her neck forwards and hissed at the Bonnie-Spirit.

Unmoved, the Bonnie-Spirit did not snap back right away, which was what Shego would have expected. But rather just stood facing Shego, evaluating her through slit eyes. After a few moments of pause in which Shego huffed with anger, her breath smoking in the cold night's air, the Bonnie-Spirit finally said, "You really want to know?"

Taken aback, Shego had not expected she was going to receive a proper answer. "Well, yes, damnit!" She spat back.

"Like, you _really_ want to know?"

"Damn straight!"

"Like, you really, _really_ want to-"

"Spit it out!!"

The Bonnie-Spirit looked about herself, biding for time perhaps. Then she turned her gaze once again to calculate Shego then said, "It's like this: She'll be fine for now. Kim'll just lie down and feel better later. _But_," The Bonnie-Spirit lifted up a finger and closed one eye, "If the future remains unchanged, they will both die."

Shego felt like she had been struck in the back of the head with a frying pan. Stunned, all she could muster from her throat was a whisper: "_Die?_"

The Bonnie-Spirit nodded.

"But…" Shego spluttered, holding her hands out in front of her, "But she never told me anything was wrong. I never _noticed_ anything wrong. It's, like… so 'whoah!' and all of a sudden. _Die_, you say? But why? How? When? What's wrong? Kim Possible and her future kid _die_?"

Shifting her weight to her other side, the Bonnie-Spirit snorted a sigh. "So what? Who cares anyway? That's just killing two birds with one stone, I say."

"How can you say that?!"

The Bonnie-Spirit shrugged looking cruelly bored with the whole matter, as if _death_ meant nothing to her. How could she appear so cold to such a dire matter? What's wrong with her? "Look, if you're done, get your ass over to that house."

Shego recoiled wrinkling her nose at the Bonnie-Spirit who waited for her to move forwards. So she did, trudging through the snow, her fists swinging angrily at her side while muttering, "Bossy, much?"

This house was in much preferable conditions than that of Kim Possible's, although it still had the scant image of poverty to it. As soon as Shego had come within range of the house, she could hear laughter, singing and jovial behaviour. In fact, it reminded her of the house party she had seen in her past with the Monique-Spirit. So much it reminded her, Shego half thought she _had_ travelled to her past once again, but she was quite sure she did not know this house.

Yet once she peered inside through the frosted windows, the sight that beheld her was much the same! Quite true, the lights were all on, not a shadow to be seen, and O! the colourful ambiance! What can be said about this house that hadn't been said describing the other? It was all there yet a less amount of people danced inside, but that did not mean there was any less exultation. And there was something else that was the same, Shego took notice, twas her brother: Hego.

Intrigued to eavesdrop on his conversation, she stepped inside and walked close to her brother. He was standing off to the side of the hoop-la in the house (Shego recognised various peoples, but none interested her as much as her own brother) holding a cup of apple cider chatting with Mego, Wego #1 and Wego #2 (who were fellow family members of Shego's and were also apart of the Go Team).

Once Shego was within hearing distance of the group, this was what she heard:

"Did you try to invite her again, Hego?" Wego #2 asked also holding a glass of apple cider.

Hego nodded his head, "Yea, and she declined-"

Mego scoffed, "Of course she won't. She hasn't attended a Christmas with us since she left our team!"

Wego #1 nodded hastily, "Why in the world does she hate it so much? Why does she have to neglect her family? Especially on Christmas!"

"I'm not sure, but I'll tell you what she told me," Hego said, dropping his voice in precaution. "Ever since she took over the world, she's become more callous then when she signed her contract with the late 'Duh'-something." (Mego and the Wegos leaned forward, absorbed on Hego's every word.) "These are words from her own mouth, I won't improvise at all! She said that Christmas was just a commercialized holiday for companies to profit from; that we have no right to make merry because we are so poor. You should have seen the greed in her eyes and the venom in her voice, it was terrifying to see what she has become, I tell you. She will not share her money and the way she treats Kim Possible is unjust. I feel almost ashamed to know her…"

Crestfallen. That was how Shego was feeling. To hear her own brother say these words about her… and what made it all the more worse was that every word he said was true. She had said those things, they were her words. Her own brother was ashamed to know her now! You could have said Shego wouldn't have thought twice what her brother thought before her nightly visitors, but now… now it penetrated and stung her terribly.

The other three brothers nodded their heads in unison, not in a sad manner, but in one of understanding and speaking fact. But then Hego said something that truly struck a cord inside Shego.

"Actually, no. I'm not ashamed of Shego, I am ashamed of what she has become."

That meant that he did _not_ hate her, and that there _was_ room for forgiveness in Hego's heart for Shego. Would Shego be able to step up and open the gateway to the forgiveness? It was she who would have to act first, Hego already had given her the initiative.

"I don't understand her," Hego continued after lifting his glass to his lips and taking a sip. "I'm sorry for her, for seeing the sins that have corrupted her. They consume her like toxic wastes spilling over her heart, dripping in oil. She sits there in her office, but she is alone and I want to be there for her. But should she ever need a friend, I'll be there for her, that I can say."

"You have more patience than me," Mego stated.

"And me!" Wego #2 concurred.

"Me too," Wego #1 agreed.

Mego stepped forwards bravely, "I don't think we'll ever expect to see her at one of our Christmas dinners."

"I left the invite open to her," Hego said.

"Don't expect her to accept it!" Mego retorted brashly. "She'll dine with Beelzebub to-morrow!"

The Wegos expressions widened at their brother's cold comment towards their sister.

"Hush!" Hego scolded, "Don't say such things, all we'll have to do is hope she'll turn around and join us in our merry making to-morrow."

"You'll hope and I'll party," Mego shot back.

"Stop!" Wego #1 cried, "Let's stop talking about Shego, all this conversation can do is bring upset. Let's go gather everyone else and have dinner."

Hego and Wego #2 nodded while Mego tossed his deep purple hair in a bold resistance (which was his own personal way of agreeing with the others) and together they strolled away from each other and began calling out to everyone above the ruckus expressing that they were to all go to the dinning room to eat.

It took awhile, but soon everyone cleared from the room, shuffling in droves through the doorway, still much alive with chatter and laughter as they went. Shego and the Bonnie-Spirit were all alone in the room now, even though Shego could hear the distant conversing in the neighbouring room, she still felt an eerie silence.

"I can't believe after how viciously I treated him up in my office, and in the past that he _still_ thinks kindly towards me. How is that possible? I'd hate me if I were him. _I'm_ the one who doesn't understand _him_." Shego stood with her arms hanging limply at her sides, dazed completely.

"I dunno, you tell me." The Bonnie-Spirit shrugged and looked about the empty room. "Well, heed what you see to-night, Shego, for I say it's just nearly about time…"

Snapping out of her stupor, Shego shook her head, her long black hair waving back and forth. "Huh? What? Time for what?"

For the first time, Shego witnessed the Bonnie-Spirit smile. Nay, not a smile, but a grin! A grin that was so vitriolic, it could have belonged to Shego. Truthfully, Shego thought the very same and wondered what on Earth the Bonnie-Spirit could be grinning at so spitefully like a Cheshire, that she squinted her eyes and leaned forwards.

Then the Bonnie-Spirit raised an arm, her right, long and straight and pointed towards something just behind Shego. Alarumed more than curious, Shego whipped around, again her prolonged hair swirling about her body. And just as the Drakken phantom had spoken, there was the Third Spirit shrouded in mist, making its way towards Shego.


	4. Stave Four

_Author's Note:_

Ack, another belated Stave, gomen! I'm terribly sick right now ;;. Soo, that's my explanation :3. Anyway, this one isn't very long, but it does what it's supposed to do. There's one more Stave after this and then… it's finished O:! Buuut hold your horses! I have a new big-ass KP fanfiction coming right up, so stay tuned for that ;3. I want to thank-you all for all the wonderful reviews, I'm so glad people out there enjoy this story! The person I wrote this to as a gift didn't even read it yet. And I gave it to them for Christmas xD Well… at least it's being appreciated -- thank-you 3

insert _Kim Possible_ Disclaimer here

-A. King (SE)

* * *

**Stave ****4**

_The Last of the Three Spirits_****

Shrouded in a long, black, hooded cloak, the Third Spirit approached Shego (she had become glued to the very floor in fear!). Slow it moved, but O! the chilling atmosphere it brought with it. Indeed, Shego's throat felt knotted and devoid of any saliva. The Third Spirit moved lugubriously and when it stopped just short of Shego, she took a couple of steps backwards, for the Spirit looked like Death itself! (Was it not?!) Everything about the Spirit was concealed by the black garment it wore, no head rose from the collar, no eyes peered from the hood, no feet did Shego see at the base of the figure. The Spirit surely breathed (how could one tell?) misery and stolen souls.

_Let me think…_ Shego collected, her mind racing, was it going to strike her down for her cruelty? She thought she was being given a chance at redemption! _If I have already been visited by The Ghost of Christmas Past (the Monique Spirit) and The Ghost of Christmas Present (the Bonnie-Spirit) then this must surely be…_

"The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come!" Shego blurted out before she had a chance to hold her tongue, "That's who you are, aren't you?" She inquired.

The Spirit stood not moving, to what seemed to Shego, for several minutes before it responded. But it did not utter a word, not even the briefest of words did anything sound from that O-so unfathomable cloak of darkness. The Spirit, you could not say nodded, but inclined its head at the question at hand.

It was at that moment that Shego first realised their surroundings. Looking about herself in bewilderment, the Bonnie-Spirit had vanished, and had everything else for that matter! There were no-longer in the room of her brother; where, or better yet, _when_ had it all disappeared? And even better still _where_ were they _now_?

_Well_, Shego thought, in answer to her own question, _It__ appears we have been transported to an alleyway_.

True, they had.

The alley was all in greyscale, not a colour brought gleam to it, the grime spread over the stoned ground and bricked walls was black; stones on the pathway themselves, a cold grey as were the bricks that laden the walls. There was a trashcan to Shego's left, brimming with rancid stenches of items rotting and forms of disgusting trash Shego did even want to think of giving names to. Soaked boxes littered the sides of the alleyway and garbage bags bulging with unknown contents.

Shego did not want to stay in this alley in her socks any longer. She could feel the grime and liquid (water or something else?) seeping through the materials and violating her feet.

"Where are we going?" She asked tentatively, for even with the prompt feeling of wanting to leave this alley in haste, she was still alarumed and apprehensive around this new Spirit. For the life of her she could give it no recognition, unlike the Monique- and Bonnie-Spirits.

The Third Spirit spoke not, but moved. It glided past Shego, its sleeves together like wearing a muffler and the mist trailed it like a shadow.

Catching the drift, so to say, Shego trotted down the alleyway to catch up with this enigmatic Spirit. "Aren't you going to say anything to me?"

The Spirit spoke not.

"Look, I know you may appear… well, let's just say 'the opposite of prep', but I know you mean well, right? That's what the other Spirits intentions where (well, I'm not so sure about the Bonnie-Spirit), so, will you at _least_ speak to me?"

As before, the Third Spirit did not speak.

"Ok, fine. Whatever," Shego grumbled under her breath, her feet pattering through the puddles. "_Be_ all broody for all I care."

The pair reached the end of the alleyway and into the city of Middleton. The air was night and this time the accompanying stars overhead appeared to shine in silence, as if equally transfixed by this most curious of Spirits. It was half-way down the street when Shego spotted three figures standing underneath a lamplight, grouped and talking.

Shego and the Third Spirit advanced on the three, like all visits, they were invisible to the assembly. And the moment Shego stopped underneath the street lamp and the light swept upon the figures, she could pin names to each face. How shocked she was to see these people!

Why, it was none other than the villains Señior Senior Sr., Señior Senior Jr. and Lord Monte Fiske (Monkey Fist)! What were they doing in Middleton together? Let alone in Shego's home turf!

"When did it happen?" Monkey Fist asked, standing in his ape-like stance.

"I was told just last night," Señior Senior Sr. replied in his heavy Spanish accent. He leaned on his cane, "I don't know much about it myself."

"What a shame!" Señior Senior Jr. cried out dramatically and cast a hand over his forehead despairingly, "And she was such a total babe too!"

"Never mind that, Junior," Señior Senior Sr. said to his son, scowling, "I want to know what happened to her money."

"I've no notion," Monkey Fist replied indifferently, his expression grim. "You'd think how greedy she was in life that she probably would have ordered it buried or burned by the solicitor."

"I hope not," Señior Senior Sr. grinded his teeth.

"With all that money, I could own _hundreds_ of discos!" Señior Senior Jr. yelped.

"So is that what you're all here for? To embezzle her money?" Monkey Fist implored.

Señior Senior Sr. nodded, "Yes, it is a very sinister act, or so I've read in my Villainous Handbook."

"Indeed." Monkey Fist drawled, his English-tongue apparent. Clearly, he was not very impressed with the Seniors simple and novice villainous tactics.

"And what, may I ask, are you here for?" Señior Senior Sr. ventured.

Monkey Fist chuckled to himself, "What else? For what every other super villain has come to this dreary town for, a jostle for the position left open. And with Kim Possible out of the way, I dare say it'll be a slice of cake."

"A slice of _banana_ cake, more likely" Señior Senior Jr. chuckled slyly at his own joke, thinking himself quite clever.

"Now why hadn't I thought of that..?" Señior Senior Sr. pondered aloud at Monkey Fists' prior comment, stroking is chin. "I thought that maybe you were here for the funeral?"

"Aa!" Señior Senior Jr. sobbed, "Funerals always make me cry!"

But Monkey Fist chortled again, his shoulders heaving with every intake of breath. "Don't be daft. I don't think _anyone_ is going to attend _her_ funeral, not with how she treated people. In fact, I think there'll be a _party_ after she's been put six feet under!"

"A _disco_ party?" There is no need for narration towards the owner of that comment.

The three villains all threw back their head and laughed wickedly towards this said remark. Shego wanted to stay and hear more, perhaps discover who they had been speaking off, who had died. Maybe it was Kim Possible? They did say she was out of the way and the Bonnie-Spirit said that if the future was not altered, Kim and her child would both die together.

But she could not stay, for the Third Spirit, without any warning, walked away from the scene and Shego felt compelled to follow. She kept turning her head over her shoulder, back at the three villains in an endeavour to hear more of their conversation, but she and the Spirit were no longer in earshot.

"Where are we going?" She asked the Spirit, but highly suspected she would receive no answer. When it did not answer, she demanded in rough tones, "Tell me who died!" The Spirit's steps did not even falter.

Along the street they stalked and barely a person they passed. Shego indeed wondered where the Spirit would be next taking her, especially when the journey began to feel prolonged. Down infinite streets they walked on, when they turned yet another block and the sight Shego beheld was a church. Again, The Spirit's glide did not halt for a second, but went on, surely knowingly its destination by heart. If it had one.

The church was small, with two floors and a pointed roof; it was coloured a slate-blue which completed the dark and depressing colours that surrounded the area. Rickety stone steps lead up to the two front doors, made of aging wood, and the rails themselves hung precariously. Some shingles were missing from the roof and it was covered in moss and bird droppings. And the pinnacle was a tall and austere old cross that was worn with weather.

When they reached the church, Shego expected to walk up the steps and inside. Maybe it was then that she was supposed to repent? Quite, Shego was halfway up the steps when she turned only to notice that the Spirit had turned down the side path and was gliding along without her.

Shego vaulted herself over the church railings (which shook from her weight) and jogged down the gravel path to once again catch up with the Spirit. When she did, she found that they had stopped once again in front of three people in the church graveyard, all dressed in black, their clothes and faces laden with dirt. But these were faces Shego did _not _recognise, but I know them, and shall disclose their names to you.

"Dude, I am _so_ not believing the old witch croaked last night!" Junior (Mind, not Señior Senior Jr.) laughed a dorky laugh and dug the end of his shovel into the dirt to lean upon it. "It was, like, _God-sent_."

"Yea, I know!" Vinnie laughed too and placed a sack he had swung around his shoulder onto the ground. "But she got her just desserts, yanno?"

"Mm, dessert," Big Mike (who really was enormous!) rumbled deep in his throat from behind them both while dusting dirt from his overly-sized hands.

These people can only be grave robbers, Shego thought disgustedly. _And whoever just died, they stole from; if it's Kim, I'll hurt them bad!_ She grinded her teeth maliciously and cracked her knuckles in a fist.

"But you can always be sure when people like her die, their stuff becomes worth, like, _loads_," Junior went on. "I can't wait to get my stuff in for appraisal. I've nicked some clothing, house-wear and stuff. What have _you_ got?"

"Some knick-knacks." Big Mike put in.

Vinnie strutted forwards, jabbing a cocky thumb at his chest. "Well you know what I gots? I've stolen her _gloves_!"

Junior and Big Mike looked astonished. "No way, you so did not!" Junior exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes, I did!" Vinnie insisted, "_And_ I've gotten her bed sheets and bed curtains. Nicked them while she was laying stone-cold dead in her bed, I did!"

"That's epic!" Junior whistled, "You're going to get some major cashola on that junk. But you watch out, she might haunt you."

"Pfft, what good is blankets and bed-curtains to the dead? Nothin' I say!" Vinnie smiled smugly, purely enjoying his attention.

"You're bluffing, you are!" Junior accused, pointing a finger at Vinnie.

"Am not! Take a gander for yourself, chicken!"

Junior snatched Vinnie's sack and let out a coarse laugh. Peering inside, his expression was shocked and Shego craned her neck to see what was in the bag, but could not see. Junior closed up the sack and handed it back to Vinnie. Picking up his own sack, they prepared to leave the graveyard.

Shaking his head, Junior let out another whistle. "Whoah dude, you've got more guts than I'll ever have."

Junior, Vinnie and Big Mike laughed and stalked out of the graveyard with their loot in tow. Shego stood in front of a grave watching their retreat.

With her hands folded together, she implored at the Spirit. "Who were they talking about, you _have_ to tell me." Now she wrung her hands, the answer… it was playing around in her mind, but surely not?

If it could be said that the Third Spirit was looking at Shego, then it turned its hood from her to something in the distance to her right, further along the path of the church graveyard. Understanding the Spirit's sign language, Shego walked forward in the direction that it had directed her in.

It was some time further down the path when Shego realised that there was a moderate hill in front of her with a giant tree, its branches, barren of any life, reached out into the night sky and against the foreboding silver moon, as if it was trying to snatch the moon right out of the sky. But it was not the hill that caught her attention, nor the tree, but rather, the _people_ atop it.

She could make out their forms and something pained within her chest.

The group was in front of a lone grave and there standing where five people: Ron Stoppable, Rufus, Wade Load and Jim and Tim Possible. All had their heads inclined to the headstone, a small one, with an even littler one, Shego just took noticed of, touching right next to it.

Shego knew what this meant, and she stopped in her shock. She halted, stunned for so long, that the party of people on the hill made their leave, walking along the path she stood on. They were within hearing distance of Shego now and she hung on to every word they said.

Jim was sniffling back tears, "We'll come next Sunday, too? Right?"

Ron was trying to smile as he walked with his hands in his pockets and Rufus riding on his shoulder. Shego gave him credit for accomplishing it so well for someone in his position. "Of course, we promised her we would."

"It isn't fair!" Tim lashed out angrily, tears streaking his face.

"It isn't." Wade replied simply, but his voice held quavers.

"I-I wish she had been alive long enough to see_ Her_ dead. We'd have danced on her gravestone!" Jim put in stubbornly and he brought up his long sleeve and wiped his noise on it.

"You know what we should do?" Tim asked his twin savagely.

"What?"

"We should vandalize that old hag's house! Even if _She_ is dead, it'll be therapeutic!"

"Yea! We can scale it with a hand-made grappling hook! Hiccabicaboo?"

"Hoosha!"

And with the last remarks in their own twin-made-up language, they scampered off down the path and around the corner. Now it was just Wade, Ron and Rufus walking (well, Rufus was riding) along the path silently with Shego trailing with them.

After a moments silence, Wade said softly, "Ron, I'm sorry." Wade looked up at Ron while walking in step with him; Rufus chirped sadly on his shoulder.

Ron just shrugged, not showing any emotion or turning to face Wade.

"Jim and Tim are right, though," Wade continued as if the silence had been some sort of answer from his friend, "It isn't fair. And you lost… them both…"

Ron shrugged again. Then after a few paces, he nodded and a tear ran down his freckled cheek.

Shego was left standing while Wade, Ron and Rufus continued to walk down the path in silence, watching them round the corner and out of sight. She stood for a few moments, alone with nothing but her heart-wrenching feelings for the loss. Could it really be all her fault that Kim and her unborn child would die? Because Shego didn't pay her enough and Kim received no medical attention?

The reality of Kim's death hit Shego hard. All that life inside of her opponent whom she had battled on countless occassions no longer existed... gone... And Shego, herself, was the sole cause. And what more, the life that Kim Possible had been laden with had been relieved, but by a _terrible _price. This was not what she nor Ron had had in mind, surely. There would not be any more generations to pass on Kim's vivacious spirit. Was this what Shego had wanted the whole time?

Backing up, she trotted back to the Third Spirit who appeared to be expecting Shego's approach where it lingered, waiting somewhere among a mass of gravestones, all different sizes.

Among these grey and black gravestones was an ample stone angel, embraced with an open bible, wings spread wide and a singular tear frozen upon her cheek. There were crosses of many different styles, shapes and sizes. Also were there slabs of stone, some triangular and some only a square. Each and every gravestone was darkened and bent cryptically in a Burtonisque setting, there seemed to be no straight lines anywhere Shego looked. Some were worn and weathered, a very selective few looked brand new. Just like the one the Third Spirit was residing beside, and a freshly dug grave befell the modest stone, exactly six feet.

But the name inscribed upon the headstone, Shego could not see, for it was blackened by the creeping, spying shadows all around.

"Who were they talking about Spirit?" Shego stepped forward, begging for the Spirit to speak to her. "Who else has died? Tell me… tell me please… This Future yet to come is terrifying and I must make amends, seriously, but tell me first, _tell me_… Who is this other death that I hear so much about?"

The Third Spirit lifted a dead-white hand from its cloak and pointed to the gravestone it was positioned beside. Shego's eyes darted from the Spirit to the headstone.

"I can't see the name! It's too dark!" She sobbed, half from desperation and half from exasperation of the lack of communication on The Spirit's behalf.

Had the stars heard her plea? For at that exact moment, a crack of lightning streaked through the sky, bringing the only sort of light in this land of the dead. And as it did so, it illuminated the headstone in question and the name upon it flashed before Shego's eyes in horror. _No!! No, no, NO!!_

The Third Spirit pushed back his cloak and laughed maliciously all the while lightening cracked. Mr Barkin! He continued to laugh as she stood stunned because quick as a blink the name was revealed and gone from sight, its name became embedded inside Shego's mind, for the name on the gravestone was as follows:

SHEGO


	5. Stave Five

_Author's Note:_

Woo! Sorry for the extreme lateness of the final stave. All in all, life had sucked much lately and other things needed to be attended to (or stressed about, haha). But thank my good friend, Charlene, for this stave now being up, for she dutifully kicked my rear in gear over the phone to-day. (I guess we'll be watching _Mulan_ next time you come over, huh? WE ALREADY SAW IT WTH ;0;.)

I'd really love to thank _everyone_ who has took the time to read my story, even you lurkers, yea, know you're out there! You guys really make me happy. Another note is that I have a new (original) Kim Possible fanfiction coming up, so if you add me/leave me on your watch list, you can be alerted for that when it's up

Well, I hope you all enjoy the ending of this story! Thanks again for all the wonderfully reviews adios!

- A. King (SE)

* * *

**Stave ****5**

_The End of It_

Shego shot up with a jolt. Breathing most heavily, her heart was in her throat and she was gasping for breath. With a lift of her arm she clutched her own neck while her other hand groped the bed sheet, sweat already soaking the blanket. Her mouth wide open and panting, her eyes perfect circles, she sat up, thinking of nothing but on breathing. Only when did she calm down and was able to look about herself, she came to realise that she was in her own bed once more and not only that, but sunbeams were streaking through her window, flooding the entire room.

She sat there for moments more, recollecting and forming thoughts. She had just been in the Middleton graveyard, she knew that for certain. Even when reflecting back, it _had_ to have been reality, it was no dream. Three Spirits had visited her that night and they had given her one last chance to redeem herself. And to-day was her chance. Would she take this chance? Shego of all people?

Why, yes! Yes, she would!

Bounding from her bed, legs high in the air, she flung herself to the floor, and leapt in leaps across the room with a bright smile across her usually sinister face. O! if you could have seen that smile! There was but only a handful people on this planet that could have told you they've seen that smile across her face before!

But what to do?! Her mind raced frantically, what should she do first? With no notion of what she was doing, she flew to the window and tore it open. Her bedroom window directly looked over the snow-covered streets far, far below. Was that a person walking through the snow, distances away? Twas!

"You there!" Shego cried out, leaning dangerously as far out as she could have dared. Waving her wand through the brisk air, her breath forming at her mouth, she called out again, "You there, down on the street, look up!"

A tall young man reckoned he heard someone speak from above. But who could be calling him? When the building he was passing was Go Headquarters, INC. and the only thing _above_ the tower itself was _Shego_'s own penthouse? Nevertheless, he raised his head and shielded his eyes. Was that… indeed so!

"Yes?" Josh Mankey called. Nothing good could come from Shego when she yelled at you. How did she know he was walking by her tower? Was he progressing down the streets too loudly and woke her? Forbid! He'd be put out of home if so!

"What day is it to-day?!" Shego's voice carried down the great distance between them not so clearly.

"SORRY?"

"WHAT DAY?"

_Was she mad?_ He thought. "It's Christmas day!" He hollered back, cupping his mouth so she would be able to hear him from above.

"WHAT? SPEAK LOUDER!" Was the reply from above.

"I said, CHRISTMAS DAY!"

"Christmas day!" Was that euphoria in her voice? _True_ euphoria? No malice masked behind it? It must be he who was delirious! "So I haven't missed anything! The Spirits really _have_ given be another chance to change the future! Hey, boy, yea, you! Do you know the poulterer's shop downtown?"

_I think someone's taken one too many pills…_Josh couldn't help but think darkly. But to answer her question promptly, he replied, "Sure, do!"

A plan formulated in Shego's mind swiftly. "Wicked! Now do you know if they've sold the large turkey in the window, boy?"

What a laugh! No-one in Middleton could afford such a turkey, the poulter must have been kidding himself when he slaughtered that bird. Or perhaps Shego had placed that turkey there herself to remind and tempt the people mockingly what they could not have.

"Yes, I do," Josh said, "It's still there, I believe." He had no idea where this conversation was going.

"Excellent! Pure dead excellence! Now go and buy it!"

"…" _Alright_, Josh thought, _now I _know_ the witch has fallen off her rocker._ "SORRY, DIDN'T QUITE CATCH THAT. WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"BUY. THE. TURKEY!"

_Buy the turkey?!_ "Shego, I have no money to afford a turkey as such!" He had half a mind to shout right then, 'Are you mad!?', but held his tongue, that would have been signing his own death certificate, it would.

"Aha! True!" Shego laughed, not in cruelty, but rather if Josh had spoken a particularly enjoyable joke. "Stay right there, don't you move!" She wagged a finger at him, disappearing from the window. Josh shook his head, had Shego hit her head on her bedpost in the night? Or yet, did _he_ hit his head walking down the sidewalk? She returned to the window hastily, something in her hand, "Here, boy! Take this and buy the turkey! Have the courier deliver it to the Possible residence! Mind not to say who it is from! And keep whatever change is left!"

Before Josh could even splutter a sound, something fell and he had not a time to move when it bounced off his head and onto the snow. Bending down to pick up what fell, he stood up and brushed the snow off it with his mitten. Lo! It was a wallet, and inside was…

"Whoah! Bless you, Shego!"

"I DIDN'T SNEEZE!"

"And a MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!"

"Merry Christmas to you and all your family!" Shego returned, gazing out the window merrily as she watched Josh Mankey run down the street, spraying snow in his wake as he went.

Pulling her head back in the window and closing it tight, she ran to her closet to change into clothes. _They'll never know what hit them, I'm sure!_ Shego thought gleefully while tugging her black-and-green jump suit on. _They won't know where it has come from, sent from God perhaps! I wish I would be able to see their faces when such a grand turkey arrives at their door unexpectedly!_ And she laughed delightfully to herself at her own attempt to picture their reaction.

Once she left her closet she was fully dressed minus her gloves which were residing in her drawer, running to get those, she said aloud: "I won't fail you, Spirits! I'm going to live in the Past, the Present _and_ the Future!" And she continued to jabber aloud like a mad-woman while she made her way to the door and down the stairs, skipping every second step, "I've never felt this good before! O! how I've never! I feel overwhelmed with good feelings and how wonderful it feels! No-more will I go out of my way to make others miserable; it's so much easier to just smile and be kind!"

Before she left her penthouse, she grabbed her green leather Club Banana jacket and scarf as she scampered out of the door. Jogging to the tower elevator, she rode it down to the bottom floor, skipping onto the streets.

How the people turned to stare to watch their once cruel world leader skip down the streets like a high-spirited little school girl! No-one could believe their eyes. They almost went into shock for it became too much when Shego said to them all, "Merry Christmas and God Bless!" Without the slight hint of a sneer!

Shego was headed somewhere specifically and after she finished some expeditious Christmas shopping, she reached her destination. Knocking on the door, waiting for a reply; she had been to this house only once before, just last night, truth be told, when a Spirit had guided her here. The door opened and it was Hego who answered, "Hullo?" He inquired and his eyes flew open as wide as any eyes could open when he found it was Shego. Not only just Shego but she had brought a sack on her shoulder and good measure to boot!

"Shego!" Hego stuttered at a loss for words, "I-I..." Then a smile spread across his face and he opened the door wide for her to step inside, "Come in; come in!"

Mego and the Wegos were there and so was mostly everybody that had been there last night at the get-together. And all of them flabbergasted to see Shego in their midst and what more, that she was smiling benignly towards them all. (Mego flabbergasted the most; and from the corner of her eye, Shego thought she caught her purple-haired brother handing some money with a most sour look to a delightful Hego).

Together, her and her family with friends embraced their first Christmas together since Shego had left them so many years ago. What had overcome their dear sister and why she had changed so suddenly, so abruptly, they did not know. Nor did they particularly care to know, all they knew was that Shego was here and warm-heartened once again, and that was good enough for them.

In her sack were wrapped Christmas gifts she purchased that morning before arriving at her brother's house. She had gifts for all and handed them out genially which they excepted with bright smiles. After some drink and talk was exchanged, Shego looked to the clock and realised that she could stay no longer.

"But where are you going?" Hego inquired of her, "It's Christmas day, you're more than welcome to stay here!"

"Thank-you, I know. But I have to go for now, I can't be late. But I'll see you soon, drop by my place any time you like." And she winked mischievously at her brother, turning to leave, she gave them all one last wave of her hand and out the door she went.

Shego was back in her office in no-time; she was pacing up and down in the waiting room. The clock spoke the time to be a minute past the hour, before Shego and known it, it was five, nay, ten! Seventeen minutes past the hour and Kim Possible was late. Shego had moved from the reception room to her office and overlooked the street below from her picture window.

There she saw streaking through the snow, struggling to hang onto her folder, was Kim. Turning the corner, she made her way running straight out to Go Headquarters. _Tsk__, tsk_, Shego shook her head, _You__ shouldn't be running_. And she allowed herself a chuckle, but not in callous, rather, how Kim would react when Shego sprung her surprise upon her!

With her hands behind her back and still facing the window, Shego heard Kim race through the reception room in a clutter and into her office all a flutter and out of breath.

Gasping, her hair unkempt from running down the windy streets, a mess of papers splattered in her hands, Kim neared Shego's desk. Gasping for words, Kim tried to form the following while her large belly heaved with each breath: "I'm sorry, Shego! I'm late, I'm sorry! I-"

"How long have you been with us, Ms Possible?"

"…" Kim knew what often came after a sentence like that. _No…_despair fell across Kim's face, all the years of maltreatment shoved that spark inside her that normally would have been outraged and kept her standing until she had the last word down and out of sight. But still, apart of her would not give in yet, "I'm sorry! I-I… it's Christmas and there was this turkey and…"

"You dare come to my office twenty minutes late and bring me fabrications of _turkeys_?!"

"I'm not lying!" Kim protested, pushing a lock out of her face, her jacket sleeve slipping down. "Please, I was only late just this once… It's Christmas… I've never been late before!"

"Quiet!!" Shego snapped and Kim closed her mouth, gulping in fear and for air. "Now you listen to me, Kim Possible! I can not abide lateness! So therefore…" It was quite a good thing that Shego was not facing Kim. She could barely struggle to hide her smile! And quicker than a cricket, she leapt from her spot and reared one flame covered hand and swept it across Kim's arm, the silver tracking-band fell neatly sliced in half, not a scratch on Kim's wrist. "Therefore… I'm going to give you a raise!" And she raised her arms in a flourish, a smile upon her cheery face.

Kim dropped everything to the floor in a moments loss. She trembled in perplexity and looked to the floor, then back at her free wrist. "I-I don't understand!"

Shego laughed softly, and explained to Kim. She was releasing not just her, but her entire family as well. She would allow them all to have jobs and positions should they decide to work at Go Headquarters, INC.. Which itself as going to change too, no longer would Shego be ruling the world, but become a justice centre, bent on riding the world of super villains, much like what the old Go Team used to be. Thus, she invited her brother, Hego, Mego and the Wegos to become her partners and allowed Kim to be her number one agent, for she more than qualified.

Delighted, Kim accepted after overcoming her shock, for saving the world was something she truly enjoyed, (but only once the baby was delivered, of course). Ron, Rufus, Wade, Jim and Tim all accepted careers at Go Headquarters as well, each majoring in their strengths.

Wade obviously was the chief in the science labs, creating new equipment and training rookie genius'. With all that time, he still communicated with the number one agent, Kim respectively (how Will Du was jealous!), on her missions.

Jim and Tim were also field agents, but their area was quite specific, both number one in the 'monkey' field, if you will. Meaning they were called in of missions that required great skill in breaking into places, much like a ninja. Of course with their great minds, they loved to tinker in the Go Labs when they were not called out. ("Making more explosions than they're worth!" Wade threatened, but no-one took him seriously, not even himself.)

Ron, on the other hand, had to haggle with Shego; she wanted him to be their number one chef, she'd seen what he could do before. But he was passionate for the field work, to continue as Kim's back-up.

"You can be the best and most-sought after cook being paid _millions _and you _still_ want to be the _sidekick_?!" Shego asked incredulously.

The word 'millions' almost swayed Ron, until Kim laid a hand on his shoulder, 'gently' reminding him of what he'd come to ask Shego for. Shego eventually gave in, but not after trying to tempt Ron over more than once. But after proving that his mind was set, she gave in, a bit grudgingly. Her grudge was soon cleared away when she found a 'Seven Layers of Heaven' cake in a quant box at her door with a little '_Thank-you_' note.

While Kim and her family of five made a _most_ considerable amount of money, they still did not have enough to purchase a proper home for all of them. So in the meantime, Shego allowed them all to live in her penthouse mansion, free of charge; she had more than enough homes for all!

It was not only a week or two after the sudden change in Shego did an unexpected knock come to her door when she was inside her penthouse with Kim, Ron, Rufus, Wade, Jim, Tim, Hego, Mego and Wegos #1 and #2, all playing some sort of parlour game or other.

("_Woman."___

_"Mango."___

_"Gorilla!"___

_"Latrine!"___

_"Ron! I can't think of a word that starts with the 'trine' syllable!"_)__

Receiving the knock, Shego was utterly astounded, but pleasantly pleased to find who had come to her doorstep.

It was Mrs Dr Possible, Mr Dr Possible, Mr and Mrs Stoppable and Mr and Mrs Load. Kim, Ron and Wade's parents had returned and there was a wonderful and heart-warming reception. They had explained that, because of their careers, one or both of the spouse pairs had been recruited by Global Justice to help build an alliance against Shego's dastardly empire; now that they were sure Shego had changed for the better, they had been allowed to return.

Kim at first, was furious that she had not been recruited as well (Wade's pride was a bit bruised too), until her Mother politely reminded her that she and the others had already been captured and tagged with the tracking bands. Kim apologised for her outburst. Everyone was just glad to have them back.

How true it was that Shego had changed because of the Three Spirits who visited her that Christmas night. Never let it be said that Shego was a cruel and unforgiving person anymore. Because she had heeded their words and what they had shown her, the Future that Shego had witnessed was altered; Kim and her child did _not_ die. (Nor, to Wade's relief, was there any need for '_Midwiving__ for Dummies'_). Shego became a loving friend to them all and Hego most of all was delighted and solaced with her change.

Shego was never haunted by Spirits again, for there was no need and never would there be with this client. Everyone now knew that Shego kept Christmas and kept it well in her heart, better than anyone could. And when they all sat down for dinner after the return of the parents, Shego sat at the head of the table ready to make a toast and said unto them all: "God Bless Us Every One!"


End file.
